In the 1960s and 70s I remember my advent calendar was usually a piece of card featuring a snowy scene, lots of sparkly glitter and very tiny doors. The doors opened to a picture of a toy, an animal, maybe bells or an angel and, if you were lucky, double doors on 24th December revealing a little Nativity scene. There were no toys, no treats and definitely no chocolate: just a very small picture. Yet it was still the highlight of every day during Advent, to pick at the corner of the little paper door to see what was behind it.
Over the years Advent calendars have become much more sophisticated and the addition of chocolate has been an irreversible and irresistible trend. But why is it just the kids having fun with their chocolate treat before breakfast. Can’t the adults indulge in some Advent appetisers too?
Hotel Chocolat have come up with some rather gorgeous Advent calendars featuring white, milk or dark chocolate. Would I like to try one? They didn’t need to ask twice so the dark chocolate calendar was sent for the Burgess family to try. It felt very sinful testing them out in November but needs must.
I was sent a complimentary Advent Calendar to taste and review.
Finished mine lol I sounded like that after the bottle of wine I drunk whilst eating it!
I've just noticed you've been reviewing them too. Aren't they gorgeous?
I'm wondering if maybe Rory's had been liqueurs!
I've still got a few more: I think a nice glass of brandy might go down well.
Awww, how utterly sweet and snotty at the same time.
Made my heart melt just watching the little lamb. Lovely rattly old cough though!
The grown-up advent calendar looks charming- but I love the Rory video the best…
I could eat both of them up!
Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh.
:-)))))
It sounds a nice idea. My mum always gets herself a posh advent calendar with beautiful art work and no chocs. I think chocs should be superfluous for adults, but variety is the spice of life so why not?
Personally I'd favour one with chocolates filled with liqueurs for an evening treat.
I got my boys Kinder trees this year for the better quality chocolate and they were on special offer…
The video is so cute. What a lovely little lad.
I don't think I've seen liqueur advent calendars but they would be great. I saw Emma in Munich had a photo of a beer advent calendar – it must have been quite a hefty thing.
Rory also has a wooden calendar with tiny wooden toys in each drawer – he still enjoys it even though he's a big lad now.
What a cutie video! Now I'm wondering where Kevin put the ocassional video we did. I have great memories of these canlenders back in the day…
I've now spent hours looking through old videos: so pleased we recorded things like this.
I'm well jel because Hotel Chocolat make the best chocs I have ever tasted! My advent calendars were just like yours as a child and, although I'm not particularly religious, I do object to buying Simpsons or Football Club calendars. – they seem to miss the point somehow! What a little cutie Rory was!
I'd never tasted their chocolate before but I will again – very yummy and glossy chocs. Agree, I like advent calendars to at least have some kind of Christmas theme.
Such lovely memories, and that chocolate looks goood! 🙂 We passed a "paper" advent calendar in the airport yesterday, covered in glitter. We used to have these years ago before we were introduced to the chocolate variety! 🙂
The choice of Christmas decorations has also increased hugely since my childhood. We used to have very naff tinsel and that was about it. Maybe I'm just old!