Advent calendars and Christmas Countdown calendars have been delighting people of all ages for years. It’s such a fun way to celebrate the Christmas season. Since I always find myself buying one or two each year—and I’ve been coming across so many unique, fun styles—I decided to put together a list of the best advent calendars for 2020.
I hope you find one for yourself or to give as a gift. (I’ll share the ones I bought this year in the list too.)
What is an advent calendar?
It’s a special calendar used to count down the days until Christmas Day arrives. Its origins lie in religion with the anticipation of the birth of Jesus, but over the years, the calendars have morphed into creatively themed Christmas Countdown calendars with hidden daily surprises.
Do you start at 24 or 1 on an advent calendar?
Counting begins at 1.
The true Advent season starts on a Sunday so the date changes every year. (In 2020, it’s November 29.) For simplicity’s sake (and for the benefit of retail sales), most Advent calendars have 24 or 25 days and begin their countdown on December 1, ending on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.
Countdown Calendars with Activities
- Melissa & Doug Magnetic Ornament Calendar Find it here.
- Holiday Cookie 25 Day Countdown Calendar ( I bought this one and LOVE it!) – Discover an ingredient, kitchen tool or recipe each day to make six different types of cookies this holiday season. Find it here.
- Wire puzzles calendar here
- Craft-a-day calendar here
- Ravensburger Christmas decorations calendar here
- 12 Days of Christmas brainteaser calendar here
- Christmas tree wall hanging with ornaments here
- Reindeer calendar wall hanging here
- Nativity calendar. Each day a felt character or element is removed from the day’s pocket and added to the nativity scene. Find it here.
Countdown Calendars You Can Make
- Santa felt calendar kit here
- Santa’s Workshop felt calendar kit here
- Snowman felt calendar kit here
- Sew Countdown Calendars book here
Countdown Calendars You Can Fill
- Christmas tree reindeer cabin with LED lights here
- Gingerbread house countdown here or here
- Red refillable 24 drawer calendar here
- Tree-shaped calendar with drawers here
- Hanging garland calendar here
- Woodland hanging calendar here
Christmas Countdown books
- A Hogwarts Christmas Pop-Up Book and calendar for Harry Potter fans here
- Elmo’s Countdown to Christmas Lift-the-flap book here
- Disney storybook countdown here
- Countdown calendar coloring book here
- Countdown calendar word search puzzles here
- Marvel countdown here
- The Nightmare Before Christmas pop-up calendar here
Kids Christmas Countdown Calendars
- LOL Surprise! doll outfit of the day kit here
- Haribo Candy Countdown here
- The Mandalorian The Child
- Gnome countdown here
- Peanuts countdown here
- Slime calendar here
- Lindt bear calendar here
Adult Advent Calendars
- 15 days of socks here
- Calendar for Couch Potatoes here
- Norman Rockwell Pop-Up Calendar here
- Gnome tabletop calendar here
- Crystal lover’s countdown here
- Friends TV show countdown here
- L’Occitane Signature beauty-based countdown here
- Ulta 12 Days of Bath set here
- 12 Nights of Wine here (My daughter bought this for me last year and I loved it!)
Advent Calendars for Foodies
- 12 Days of Cocoa here
- Aldi Imported Cheese Calendar here
- Hot Sauce Countdown here
- Tea countdown calendar here and here (I purchased this one myself in 2019 and 2020 – I love it!)
- Giant 24 Days of Tea calendar here
- Mini fruit spreads and honey here
- Handcrafted caramels here
- Italian Cookies here
- Popcorn countdown calendar here
Countdown Calendars for Pets
And because it wouldn’t be right to leave out our furry friends, here are a couple of Christmas countdown calendars for pets!
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