chocolate advent calendars epitomize everything that is wrong with the world today

[emkana]

bit OTT non?

SGB has got a cellar full of creme eggs too. She's hanging onto them until 2013 when she will swap them for cans of petrol and shoes.

Don't be silly. No creme egg has a lifespan of more than seconds around me (growl, slobber, rending of tinfoil...)

I do stockpile loo roll though. I will be trading that for fags, beer and sexual favours next week when the End Happens.

especially at trading loo roll for sexual favours

Have also been pondering our place on the 'advent calendar as statistical representation of impending apolcalypse', but have confused myself.

dd & ds have a soft fabric calendar each with little pockets. So, points for re-usability in face of mass consumer wastage.

(Additional points for sheer ponciness as they are definitely bunting-cupcake calendars).

However, in each pocket is.........
.....a chocolate. Points deducted for contributing to crass commercialisation of Christmas, and evident lack of morals.

But.....each chocolate wrapping features a rather lovely picture of an old-worlde Christmas scene. Therefore points gained for instilling delight in traditonal artworks and values.

Sigh.

Actually, I do have one bugbear about modern day advent calendars - when did they start having 25 windows/pockets??? What's that all about?

Naaah, G I'm sticking with Crappy Mother and chucking choccy at them . bugger it.

hehe, what snowleopard said, right down to the Yorkshire Calvinist sensibilities - I did find myself having a small rant in a supermarket at the prominently-placed-by-the-checkout chocolate calendars at the weekend...

My dds made their own advent calendars, which I inserted clues into (which they have to collaborate to solve, different parts of clue in each calendar), and if they solve the clue they find chocolate. Some of the chocolate has to be hung on the tree.

[SMUG HOME CRAFTY NON COMMERCIAL NON DISNEY YET CHOCOLATEY EMOTICON]

Hmmm, well my dts have a Clone Wars advent calendar each but as they think they are jedi anyway what does that mean? There are no pictures though and I was so looking forward to seeing baby Jesus with his lightsabre.

Wonder what Libby Purves thinks about chocolate coins for the Christmas stocking?
(Got really good ones this year with chocolate Euros.) Crap chocolate and Christmas, go together like crap chocolate and Easter!

Having said that though I loved my advent calendar with the pictures in but where would you buy one now? I only ever see choccy ones?

I actually saw a proper Jesus-themed, non-chocolatey Advent calendar in the Paperchase bit of Borders last week. I nearly fell over backwards. It was placed very non-prominently though.

Another disapproving chocolate advent calendar person here too! My DCs have all been deprived over the years....(but have plenty of chocolate otherwise).

I spend ages searching for those sparkly/animal/bible scene (and I am an atheist)ones I used to have as a child which always have totally inappropriate un-Christmassy pics behind the doors, like a zebra or boat. It has become a tradition in our household to search for a 'proper' advent calendar. You can usually find them in art shops or card shops. Medici, I think is the name of the company that makes them.

i boycoted chocolate advent calenders, when i discovered ds2 was opening the bottom, nicking the chocolates out of his siblings(used to get one each)and prit sticking them back together.boys eh?not worth the warzone it caused.

M&S do a Nativity Scene chocolate Advent calendar.

And the chocolate in it is organic and fairtrade, in appropriately Christmassy shapes. DD loves it. In her other advent calendar (one of those fabric bunting-cupcake jobbies), she has a bit of paper with a 'mission' on it - either craft-based or tidying up related (totally nicked that idea from the Christmas threads!). We're Catholic. Works for us.

Libby Purves must've been having a slow week if that's all she can find to pin the decline of Western Civilisation upon....

Oh, and psml @ the thought of SGB trading sexual favours for loo roll

OK so I have 2 questions for you chocolate advent calendar haters:

1. Do you even hate the ones with a nativity scene. Last year DS had an M&S one with a fold out nativity scene.

2. This year DS has a felt calendar with pockets. In it I have put little presents like toy cars, a crayon, a mini colouring book etc. I suppose that is just as bad as having a chocolate one though isn't it really - perhaps worse?

make that 3) What if someone else buys your DC a chocolate advent calendar?

no, the nativity scene ones are a suitable run-up to christmas.

yes, presents are just as bad as chocolate

and nobody has ever offered us one as a present, not everyone is mad.

Now a question for you chocolate advent calendar lovers: At what point does self-indulgence and conspicuous consumption stop with you? At what point do you say Enough, we have grossly over-celebrated christmas?

can hear bleats from the chocolate advent brigade of "but its just a little bit of chocolate!" "get a life, we are enjoying ourselves!"

YER ALL DOOMED! DOOMED I TELL YOU!

in case I wasnt clear, nativity scene only OK if does NOT have flamin chocolate in it!

make that 4 questions even...

4. My friend has a similar advent calendar to us. She puts a mixture of xmas tree decorations and tree chocolates in the pockets. Are either of those acceptable to the chocolate advent calendar haters?

I did a 75 mile round trip to buy a non-chocolate advent calendar this year - I kid you not. That is partly because December crept up on me like never before and I didn't have time to order one online, but the online selection was crap this year anyway. I'm not scoring well on the green credentials here am I?

I don't even particularly like the calendar I ended up with - it's an "old fashioned toy shop" with a rather scary looking doll centre stage, and there's nothing remotely Christmassy about the pictures behind the doors. Most disappointing, but still better than chocolate (I think).

It never stops amazing me how hard it is to find a nice nativity-themed chocolate-free advent calendar. And I think that's sad, I really do.

You know what.... I wrote this big old message out and its actually not worth saying all the stuff..... Its friggin christmas. Get a grip, jump down of your horses and have some fun!!!

OMG

tsk, the world's gone mad.

I give mine a nip of scotch before their christmas choclate then I put them back under the stairs.

Twinklemegan, you are my heroine

I got 2 from a local newspaper in austria. We re-use them, closing the doors and putting them away with the rest of the christmas decorations, but our old one is getting a bit battered.

you people do not gets it.

Not buying a chocolat eone has nothing to do with teh christian message of christmas. You are barking up the wonrg tree.