Lego/Playmobil Advent calendars, Yea or Nay?

[ragged]

DS10yo wants one which means getting them or similar for 2-3 younger siblings, too. We haven't managed any sort of Advent calendars for several years (complicated reasons, probably not applicable to toy-contents Advent calendars), so am minded to get them this year, but am mulling over...

*They seem quite expensive for what you get.
*Don't want DC to expect one every year.
*Are Lego/Playmobil only options, any other makes of toy-content Advent calendars I could look for (might be more suitable for some of my children)?

What do you think? Do you like them?

I'm not religious and I have loads. It's cultural innit.

Ah yes, the famous Swordfish of Christmas.

I think God is somewhere quietly taking the piss you know.

Silly old me.

My excuse for not shelling out for a lego/choclate etc one is that grandma provides the calendar and she does do a good three kings one. But personally why bow to the silly pressure, just do what you want.

And in this house, cardboard rules!

<a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=blogs.reuters.com/oddly-enough//files/2010/03/cr_mega_680_sumo%2520bream%2520490.jpg&imgrefurl=blogs.reuters.com/oddly-enough/tag/john-mccain/&usg=__iT7hEou37Uob5oCgpm8PNPVLb58=&h=345&w=460&sz=120&hl=en&start=28&sig2=wd8hAnVypNFgQae-YfpWVw&zoom=1&tbnid=8RsY9tek8UzOBM:&tbnh=138&tbnw=185&ei=UCeNTPnHOpi8jAeaxsSrBg&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsumo%2Bwrestling%2Bswordfish%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1532%26bih%3D772%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C463&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=672&vpy=470&dur=4321&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=135&ty=93&oei=QieNTKn_HcWLswaf6cjpAQ&esq=2&page=2&ndsp=29&ved=1t:429,r:11,s:28&biw=1532&bih=772" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">for Shiney

I have never even heard of this concept before. Gah another lot of christmas stuff to buy

It's the Christmas Yakuza I think

Because pretty much every culture in the temperate zone has a midwinter festival. Ours currently happens to be Christmas. I'm not about to start refusing to celebrate because I don't happen to agree with the religious justification currently attached to it, and I'm not going to start insisting on calling it Yule or some other pagan festival because I'm not a pagan either, and calling it "non-specific midwinter celebration" makes it tricky to buy cards.

The DCs know about the Christmas story, get plenty of religious input from other relations, and will make up their own minds.

I make an attempt at not celebrating Easter (which is the bigger deal religiously anyway) but am always foiled by other people buying the DCs chocolate eggs.

We are Christians (I am a slightly jaded Christian at the moment but that's another story) and wholeheartedly enjoy Lego Advent calendars, festive swordfish and all. I sometimes think of it as a reward or justification for schlepping out to church every Sunday, plus occasional rotas, committees etc. etc.