To be nostalgic about picture advent calenders?

[malificent7]

The ones from my childhood. They were lovely and simple and non grabby.
We loved looking at the pictures.

[lilydaisyrose]

I miss these too. You can still get them but my kids would be outraged if they didn't get their Dairy Milk ones

[Muddlingalongalone]

Clinton's have some. We still have them every year from somewhere. I particularly like a 3-d nativity scene. Dd1 is looking forward to the poundland paw patrol she bought for herself.

[DingleBerries]

Yes! I buy one for myself every year.

They are traditional and old school and pretty. A little glitter in places and just perfect.

Get one!

[QuantumPixies]

I totally agree. They’re hard to find these days. The thought of spending £££s on an advent calendar is totally alien to me.

[CatsAndCairngorms]

We still always have these. I normally get from a lovely independent toy shop near us but saw John Lewis have heaps of beautiful ones this year.

[DingleBerries]

I got this one

[A1Sharon]

Honestly just get one as well! The kids have chocolate ones and DH has a retro one. We have a competition each year to see how gets the most guesses right in the mornings.
Will it be holly, a wreath, a candy cane...! The excitement!!
It goes on FB and all his friends join in too.
Just get one.

[JustPutSomeGlitterOnIt]

I'm 25 and I still only get these for my children. They're gorgeous.

[toffee1000]

My grandmother sends me one (I'm 22). I haven't had a chocolate one for a while although I will this year

[BeTheHokeyMan]

I loved those as a child and always wanted one just for me so have treated myself to a beautiful one from amazon.Can't wait to get it will probably end up sharing with the kids even though they have both chocolate and Lego advent calendars to open

[OlennasWimple]

Yes, I was thinking this when I was reading the Zoella rip off advent calendar thread

[FreeSpiritJen]

I much prefer the traditional ones. Like this

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I got mine last year from W H Smith.

[teaandtoast]

After seeing a Christmas thread on here which mentioned traditional advent calendars, I bought one too. So pleased - I didn't realise you could still get the paper ones.

[housebyariver]

I volunteer in a Cards for Good Causes shop and there is a good choice of traditional advent calendars without any chocolate

[PacAMac]

Me too! I got one in Clinton's cards.

[MaximaDeWit]

This brought back some amazing memories of opening to see which picture was behind. I’m sold - will be ordering one tomorrow

[SisterMoonshine]

I always get picture ones. I never bought into the chocolate ones - they just seem to look like litter. And it's not as though there's any shortage of chocolate and treats arounds, my DCs have certainly never felt they're missing out- they love the pictures, far more exciting.

[Janettaw]

We've got one of those wooden doors ones. The DCs started moaning about the lack of chocolate a few years ago ("the elves" used to leave treats such as raisins etc which they liked when they were about 8).

Now they are teens I am tempted to just put nothing in the compartments except a note detailing their "good deed for the day".

Maybe they'd prefer an old style picture one like these to that ....

[Enidblyton1]

We always do picture advent calendars - this year a beautiful German one. It's a Victorian house which opens up and you can see all the rooms. My kids much prefer them to the chocolate calendars. Bit more expensive though - I paid an eye watering £13 for it!

[planetclom]

I am nearly 50 and I remember these joyless pieces of cardboard with fondness because I always got a chocolate advent calendar my dad would bring back from Germany for me, oh the jealousy of the other children was palpable 😂

[LifeOfBriony]

We had these as children - after Christmas we would close all the doors and put them away for next year.

[ToEarlyForDecorations]

Fantastic !

Proper advent calendars ! Real excitement about the count down to Christmas Eve.

The advent calendars that people buy and use is of no concern of mine, i.e. makeup, or miniature bottles of wine etc

My aunt did buy us chocolate advent calendars back in the day. I have this abiding memory of the horrible waxy chocolate in the chocolate ones and hoping for a normal advent calendar instead.

Some parents have a problem with chocolate before breakfast in any case.

[tulippa]

WHSmith do them.

[fretfulsmarties]

We had the same one each year. My mum just shut the doors again. I didn't even know people bought new ones until speaking to a friend recently.

[ReggaetonLente]

My mum still has one!