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.

Oxfam sell the traditonal ones, I like them too.

Not really keen on the cheap chocolate for breakfast.

I hated my picture calendar.
Every other fucker in school got chocolate and I got a picture to look at.
My kids get a chocolate one and I get one too.

Whats not to love!

I used to get a phoenix trading one for the kids, but since they closed I ordered one from the site a pp posted, traditional advent calendars. I also have a string of 24 mini numbered stockings that I fill with chocolate coins, snowmen and father Christmas chocolates. Mine have never had a chocolate calendar, I can't stand them, like a pp said they look like litter 😂

I'm now feeling slightly ashamed that, despite living in Germany, our kids will not be getting any of these beautiful traditional calendars but instead have each a Milka one... and a playmobil one. Oh well.

We get the traditional picture ones every year. When ds was young, he did sometimes get a Playmobil or Lego one as well, but has never had a chocolate one.

Since he was about 9, we have had an annual competition to guess what is in the pictures for each day. He's nearly 17 now, and the competition is still going, and my sisters and BIL have now joined in too. Last year mine was a Father Christmas one (with the Raymond Briggs illustrations) and had a Father Christmas in every single window! I didn't get many points...

Not keen on the cheap choc ones - this year I've got a pork scratching one ! Genius

WH Smith have lots.

I remember being really excited to open the 24th as it was a double door.

I saw some while out with my children (speciality Christmas event/shop) they were amazed and thought initially that the chocolate must be super thin! I had to explain the ‘no chocolate’ detail.

They looked lovely I have to say.

Mine got both, but on leaving home my eldest, and now her boyfriend, just get Fairtrade chocolate ones.

I still remember my favourite advent calendar from primary school, it was a nocturnal nativity scene with lots of dark blue sky and the “star of wonder” and the stable with manger and clan all warm and glowing in the night. There was fine silvery glitter for snow. It was magical.

I first saw chocolate ones in around 1979 at prep school, there were lots of forces children and those with parents stationed in Germany got chocolate calendars. We were agog but still loved our own. We were very envious of Kinder Eggs though, they were unknown here.

God, this whole thread is lovely but makes me feel like a terrible person! As a child I thought the ones with just pictures were the crappiest thing ever. My grandma bought me one one year and I was told off for not saying thank you nicely enough, and I remember being outraged that I was expected to not just say thank you but to gush over such a substandard advent calendar! I have turned into a reasonable, non-grabby adult, I swear! I now see the appeal of these as beautiful objects, but as a child it was just an advent calendar with the good bit missing.

I think your only nostalgic about them if your parents supplied the chocolate in other ways.
Not much to be nostalgic about when you grew up poor and mum produced the same picture advent calendar for years as she couldn’t afford new ones nor was there large tubs of quality street sitting on the sideboard to dip into instead.

As a child, I shared one with my brother and we’d take turns opening the windows. Now I have my own and find it thrilling to be able to open every one.

My childhood glittery advent calendar was used each December for years. The hinges were worn and by my teens I’d almost got to the point where I could correctly predict the picture behind each little window.

Chocolate calendars and the more recent expensive cosmetic calendars have taken some of the magic away.

I feel a sudden yearning for something retro and less grabby. OP, I’m going to get myself a glittery paper calendar!

We get picture ones in smiths every year. Children still love them. They have a cheap tesco choc one too.

Angela Harding does an absolutely beautiful one on her website, they are so lovely you want to keep them each year.

My DM bought one a few years back for a little girl in our family. The look the little girl gave her when she handed it over suggested she'd handed over a bottle of pee.

My DM bought one a few years back for a little girl in our family. The look the little girl gave her when she handed it over suggested she'd handed over a bottle of pee.

Wait, how many years back - are you my aunt?! (See post a few above yours!)

So you open the little door and what? There's a picture? Of what?

I've never heard of such a thing. What is the point of that?

We have one from John Lewis

We had the same one every year. Dad sellotaped the doors shut. I absolutely LOVED that calendar!!!

Am clicking on everyone's advent calendar links... They're all lovely! I think I'm going to John Lewis later in the week so am planning to check out their collection. I love a picture advent calendar. I took one on my honeymoon (which was in advent I should add)

The garden centres often do them. I saw a lovely one last year in Dobbies X