I don't like chocolate Advent calendars...

[MorticiaAnnSpookington]

it just seems wrong somehow, give me a proper Nativity scene with just windows to open..but daresay I'm in the minority here !

love BetteNoir's paperchain idea...and agree with Olihan about Christmas being something to do with Jesus and not just a chocolate rewarded countdown ! Thomas chocolate calendars and the like aren't right !

Agree. They seem to be so lacking in imagination - as long as their's chocolate we can just stick a boring picture of Power Rangers on the front.

I buy the most tradiional old-fashioned calendars I can. With lovely detailed pictures and glitter. Our Christian bookshop usually stocks some good ones.

jura - that looks like the ones I get. Similar design but my god that's expensive! .

MAS [love the Hallowe'en name btw ]
I agree with you and much prefer tradional calendars.

I actually made one myself for my ds when he was about four and it's still going strong seven years on.

It's just a simple nativity scene, but he still [wonder for how long more] loves to open the slightly worn out cardboard windows for the countdown to Christmas.

We have quite a few shops in town where you can get the big sparkly german picture ones. They're much nicer IMO, and dcs have a chocolate penny when they open one so they're not exactly missing out on the advent chocolate experience.

TnOg - hello there ! (any ipanema news btw ?)
I got ds a glittery German trad. calendar last year - our local gift shop has them...lovely. I also have a wooden crib set which we bring out with great excitement...it reminds me of the one we had when we were children..not wooden but plastic figures which we arrange in an old box filled with straw and cotton wool snow and we'd make a blue tissue paper sky in the cut out window and shine a bike lamp behind it.

[ No, nothing, MAS. I guess she'll pop on here at some point and give us an update on life with her beautifully named dd.

Hope all is well with you and yours ]

The crib sounds lovely and very innovative with the bike light!

That must one big shiny star

This is subject of a running 'discussion' I have with my MIL - she says no choc under any circumstances cos its not proper - I agree if its just Bart simpson or something but we always get the Divine Fairtrade Choc one - which has the chocolate BUT it also displays a nativity scene AND tells the Christmas story a little bit each day. Although disappointingly this year - the picture on the front is not good so we won't do it this year. here We also have a pocket one which you add a new piece to the nativity scene each day.

Hate 'em! DH is always given one or two (!) Cadbury ones by his mother (he's 37...) and I'm afraid I just sneer because a) it's not even very nice chocolate, or Fairtrade, b) there are no little pictures behind the doors, JUST CHOCOLATE, c) it wasn't wot I had as a child and therefore plainly wrong.

I look for an olde stylee one for myself with loads of detail AND NO CHOCOLATE. Am 35, should grow up and stop it really.

humbug

Oh, I only like the chocolate ones. The 'picture' ones are such a disappointment.

I don't like them either - they just seem less magical to me. We always put the paper picture ones where the light can shine through the thinner paper of the open windows. We also have a fabric one which my Dad brought home from somewhere in Asia years ago and that is particularly special because he died several years before he ever had grandchildren so I love the face they use one he chose. That said, I have nothing against them eating chocolate - just a bit dull in advent calendars. Also takes them until Christmas Day to get through the Hallowe'en stuff.

I'd like an advent calendar with little margaritas in it. Just the thing to start the day.

not thew face - the fact - typo due to very wriggly baby eating the A to Z in my arm.

I hate the chocolate ones. They show a complete lack of imagination

When dd's older I'm going to get one with draws that I can fill up myself. I will still put the odd sweet in but it will be a complete surprise which day it falls on.

I like the idea of a lentil weavery one.

on one day there could be a couple of mung beans, on the next some quinoea, instructions to knit your own swaddling clothes . . . any more ideas?

I was brought up in a household where choc advent calenders were just not done, always had a nice christian one, and thats what I will be continuing with my DD. We have a Playmobil one and this year she has a handmade (not by me) pocket one, where I can add gifts.

I did cave last year, and treated myself to a choc calender but it was the Divine one, the chocs delicious and as Scrappy mentioned, told the story of Christmas.

MIL buys DH a choc one every year, despite him A) being 30 and B) hating chocolate. What a piddling waste.

For those that do enjoy the choc advents, Superdrug I notice do a Top Gear one. It's ok, very festive with the words "Twas The Stig Before Christmas..." I kid yee not

I'm an advent calendar snob . Has to be a normal, picture one, preferably with a traditional scene and double doors for the 24th window.

Although biscuits I might have to get DP the Top Gear choc calendar!!!

The Jura / Franny endorsed one was my most favourite advent calendar of all time

I am picky about the picture - it has to be one where opening the windows enhances rather than obliterates the larger scene...

Oh! We saw the most gorgeous advent 'calendar' today in JL- this one... It was huge though, and the holes were not enormous- big enough for chocs or sweets, but probably not big enough for a playmobile person IYSWIM.

They also had proper picture ones

DS#a had this one a few years back. Still love it. Tradiational but not nativity

I'm quite old but spent quite a bit of my early childhood in Germany, so for me a chocolate advent calendar IS traditional, but I do get one that looks trad. Lidl do them quite cheaply - glitter and all sometimes!
But I also remember having non-choc ones and being SO excited to see what the picure was.

I don't mind the idea of them having a wee choccie every day, it only happens at Christmas after all (I mean the every morning thing, obviously the kids are allowed choccie at other times!). I have a thing with pockets where I put wee cadburys choccie treats. I also buy a calendar without chocolate as that's what I used to have.

My MIL, who is the queen of all things cheap and tacky, insists on buying them both the cheapest calendars out of the pound shop with vile chocoate in them, which I bin as soon as poss. She does this, even though she has seen many a year that they have their own calanders and there's no need to buy cheap shit.

Don't get me started on my MIL.......

we used to have an advent candle too, marked with 24 notches and you burned down a notch each day

What were those other things called - angel chimes or something??? You lit a candle each week

with spinning angels ?

You need to check our Christian bookshops for "normal" ones with a nativity and no choc, though WH Smith did them last year.

I really want a fabric reusable one, think this may be the year I just buy it!

Lakeland have a fab wooden chest thing with 24 drawers each containing something to put into the nativity scene, lovely!

CD, I have angel chimes. they're actually quite annoying as a grown up!

I do love an "old fashioned" nativity advent with lots of glitter but mine end up getting playmobil and lego ones [blush}