Unique Advent calendars to make the holiday season extra exciting
Count down to Christmas with these calendars.
-- While traditionalists may opt to count down to Christmas with single squares of chocolate hidden behind a decorated cardboard door, some companies are thinking outside the box when it comes to Advent calendars.
Check out these twists on the Christmas classic filled with trendy products from bath bombs to wine and other festive items that you never knew came in such a fun-size package.
Beauty
Birchbox is known for its subscription beauty product boxes, but this holiday season, the company created a special 14-day "Countdown to Beauty" Advent calendar featuring 14 samples of its best-selling products. The company also offers limited-edition holiday boxes for both men and women filled with everything from grooming products to accessories to supplement the overwhelming demand for their first-of-its-kind calendar.
"Our customers went crazy for it," public relations director Jenna Hilzenrath told ABC News. "The feedback was amazing, we heard from many of them that they were buying it for themselves in addition to gifting it to friends and family."
Beauty and skincare company L'Occitane offers a classic advent calendar available in stores that includes 24 beauty products. The calendar is filled with a variety of hand creams, soap, perfumes and more of the company's favorite products hidden inside a holiday illustrated box tied with a big red bow.
Lush cosmetics has made a splash with its effervescent bath bombs and the company's 12 Days of Christmas advent calendar is filled with an assortment of popular and seasonal bath and body products.
Fun gifts
Fans of witchcraft and wizardry can find Harry Potter sock Advent calendars at Target this holiday season.
Fill the home with scents of the holiday season with the Yankee Candle Countdown Calendar. “This year’s calendar is in the shape of a house and includes a frosted glass snowflake candle holder and 24 tealight candles (one for each day leading up to Christmas) in 12 of Yankee Candle’s favorite holiday fragrances,” director of brand development Nancy Sacco told ABC News.
Food
Dylan's Candy Bar created a printed cotton calendar from the Land of Nod collection. The brightly colored calendar is shaped like an apartment building with a surprise toy or treat tucked away behind each of the 25 colorful windows.
Drinks
Canadian tea purveyor David's Tea offers a tiny single serving tin of tea within each day of its calendar.
Drinks by the Dram sells its holiday spirit countdown to Christmas Whiskey Advent calendar. The adults-only beverage calendar has 24 different wax sealed bottles of whiskeys tucked behind each door. From single malt Scotch to Irish and American expressions, the malt calendar features an array of choices for any whiskey connoisseur.
The company also offers a bourbon, gin, rum, vodka and additional specific whiskey calendars.
Supermarket giant Aldi unveiled a wine Advent calendar filled for the holidays. Behind each day are a single 200-milliliter bottle of red, white, rosé and bubbly.