Advent calendars for older family in the UK
For those who celebrate Christmas, the run-up to the season has become another opportunity to shop and give – in this case in the form of advent calendars.
I remember as a child we had the simplest of calendars. Just paper-based with a festive image behind every door. By the time I had children, Cadburys had led the way in putting chocolates behind the doors – and despite my children now being parents themselves, I still give them Cadburys calendars. At least these calendars have a Santa image on the front in a nod to the season.
But the market for advent calendars today is wide open, with budgets from minimal to ridiculous. And the age range has changed, so if you feel your older relative would enjoy a calendar, there’s plenty of choice out there. Here are just a few ideas.
Before we get started, a few thoughts:
- How many days make Advent? As a traditionalist I believe it’s all the days in December, and I suspect many older peopel will agree with me. However, some companies seem to have confused Advent with the 12 days of Christmas, so it’s worth checking how many gifts a calendar contains. And will the recipient mind the confusion?
- Would you like the calendar to be festive-themed in some way, or does that really not matter to you or the recipient?
- Do you need to think about allergies and intolerances, dietary restrictions or any other limiting factors?
Jacquie Lawson electronic calendars
Some years ago a friend bought me a Jacquie Lawson e-calendar, and I’ve been buying them for myself ever since. I use mine on my PC but there are also versions for more portable devices. Although the brand is American, Lawson is a Europhile, and recent versions have been based in London, Paris and other European locations.
The calendar is absolutely full of fun things to do, individually or perhaps with a grandchild. Every day reveals new activities and games. I really love it.
The image here is of the calendar for a previous year, as at the time of writing (early October 2025), this year’s calendar isn’t yet available.
Bonne Maman jams
I’ve not seen this live, but it sounds delightful. This year’s Banne Mama advent calendar features a winter wonderland scene and includes 23 x 30g mini jars of conserves and spreads with many flavours developed exclusively for Christmas and not usually available in the UK. Plus, a surprise festive gift on Christmas Eve. I like the idea of mini jars particularly for anyone who would enjoy the variety in small sizes.
The calendar is available on Bonne Maman website at £33 including delivery. The company says every order from the Bonne Maman website will also receive a complimentary special edition jar of Hazelnut Chocolate Spread (360g jar).
It will also be available from retailers such as Waitrose, Selfridges and Fenwicks.
It’s not Terry’s, it’s mine
Have you seen the size of Terry’s chocolate oranges these days? I signed up to knit hats for chocolate oranges for the Shooting Star charity, and was positively shocked at how small the hat was according to their pattern. Turns out the pattern was right, but the orange ball really has shrunk, though the taste is still great. The publicists tell me that there’s chocolate behind every door, with the ‘ultimate surprise on Christmas Eve: the biggest ever Terry’s segment (a whopping 14g of chocolate orange joy)’. The calendar sells for RRP £2.50, in all major retailers.
Mindful December
Sadly, many of retirement age will be now factoring the threat of Type 2 diabetes into their festivities, and may with a heavy heart turn down a daily chocolate or pot of jam.
So how about something complete different? We saw this mindful idea and thought it looked like fun. Wildline art colouring book for advent offers festive-themed drawings of wildlife, printed on high-quality recycled paper – uncoated for pencils and coated for pens. From the hedgehog to the hare, many of the designs are of popular UK animals. But the book introduces less-known species, too, like the natterjack toad and great crested newt. It’s £7.99 from the website including 2nd class postage.
Foodies calendars
Edible and drinkable calendars from artisan makers for general enjoyment and special diets can be found on Yumbles’ best of list. Prices range from £20 to around £100, so not cheap but do look enticing.
Photo by Alexandra Mitache on Unsplash