If you don't like advent calendars with chocolate in them?

[nappyaddict]

Is it because they have nothing to do with Christmas?

Is it because it is unhealthy?

Is it because they aren't environmentally friendly?

Is it because Christmas DAY is when you get the treats. You don't need a small one every day on the run up to it?

Would you also object to the felt ones with pockets or wooden ones with drawers being filled with chocolate coins, sweets, candy canes, strings of popcorn etc? Or just strings of popcorn if your reason is because it is unhealthy?

I don;t like them because as soon as you take the chocolates out you just have a big crappy looking card on the shelf that look shit.

I prefer to look at a pretty picture (if I must) and the kids eat chocolates off the tree.

sorry should have been calendars on the last line.

I don't object to any sort of advent calendar. I have many many more things in my life to object to.

I don't like them because I wouldn't give a child chocolate every day and because they're always milk chocolate and DD doesn't eat milk.

I can't be doing with buying 24 tiny things for a felt one either. I have presents to buy.

I think the cadbury santa one combines the greed of eating chocolate every day with the greed of getting a massive pile of stuff. I would rather have the devine nativity one than a non choc one without a religious scene I think. I don't mind chocolate generally but I don't like the here is some chocolate because its advent because advent is quite a contemplative/reflective time. Obviously I can see if you are not religious then eating chocolate everyday out of a ben 10 calender has its own charm.

I think this post perfectly illustrates the need for a [precious] emoticon .

Why do you want to know OP?

I don't want my dds to grow accustomed to eating chocolate first thing in the morning. And I think that the advent calendar should be a communal family thing, which wouldn't work if there was just one chocolate each morning and the dds had to fight over it / take turns to eat the chocolate. (I know lots of people get one advent calendar for each child, but that seem to defeat the purpose IMO). Also I feel that advent calendars ought to be Christmassy.

They have had playmobil advent calendars a couple of times, where you got a piece of playmobil each morning to build up a Christmassy scene. Last year they had an 'Olive the other reindeer' calendar which had little card pieces that built up a scene, and this year they are having an Eric Carle one that works in a similar way.

On the chocolate calendars, do you get a little picture underneath the chocolate behind each door? Or is it just chocolate?

1. I don't like the 'chocolate every day'
2. I want the advent calendar to be Christmassy and so many of the chocolate ones are 'simpsons' 'barbie' etc.
3. Advent is an anticipatory time
4. The chocolate is horrible.
5. Christmas should be how I had it when I was little - which means no chocolate calendars (just to be clear, I didn't want one when I was younger either)

Agree I think its dull and unimaginative amongst other things just to have chocolate every day.

We have a picture one, old stylie, and a German advent rope with little stockings hanging off it that is filled with one thing each for the DC each day. Sometimes, its a chocolate Santa or coin, sometimes a GoGo or a packet of Match Attax, sometimes some hair clips and sometimes a promise (eg to stay up late).

melpomene - thanks for the tip about Olive the reindeer calender will be getting it for dd this year. She will have just turned three and it will be her first calender.

I don't want to do the whole chocolate thing because I want dd to look forward and enjoy the anticipation and excitement of Christmas without it being just about the immediate gratification of a cheap piece of chocolate.

MissDoolittle How religious are you? Ie do you go to church every week, do you go every so often, do you go for occasions like christmas, easter etc or you don't go to church but you still believe in god (or some other alternative I haven't thought of )

I can't bear the chocolate advent calendars either but DCs and DH all love them. I always buy myself a very tasteful traditional calendar and open a window imperiously every morning. Have also seen a felt jobby which looks most gorgeous...

I am 35 and my mother still buys one for me every year and nowadays they contain chocolate. I have absolutely no idea why . We certainly didn't have the chocolate ones when I was little. The nicest one I can ever remember was a Nativity scene, and the windows when you tore them off could be reversed and stuck on to make a new picture on a grid underneath. I loved it.

We love them in my house, we all get one. The girls choose their own and me and dh choose for each other. We do eat our breakfast before having the chocolate, although it's still only about 7.15 when we scoff them! Oh I love Christmas!!

It's because the chocolate is often yucky and because I remember as a child being absolutely thrilled with the lovely pictures, while chocolate ones tend to be shite to look at with spongebob on the front. You also can't reuse them, whereas the cardboard regular ones we pulled out year after year.

The drawers etc I just think is OTT. I remember the very spoiled girl at school having one!

This one which has little paper figures you slot into the nativity scene is my DD's all time favourite. I'd love a very beautiful one though.

they are selling nice pop up advent calendars with a nativity scene in sue ryder shops for 99p. saw them today.

Thanks for that tip Cherry