Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time.<\/p>\n
Remember ripping open the first window of an advent calendar on December 1 and gobbling up a bloom-covered chocolate that vaguely looked like a misshapen elf? It could barely be called chocolate, yet it filled you with enough yuletide joy to last until Christmas.<\/p>\n
These days of humble $5 chocolate advent calendars seem to be behind us.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Advent calendars have become an extravagant and expensive business.<\/span><\/p>\n Today, the countdown to Christmas is an extravagant and expensive business. Candles, perfumes, make-up, skincare, socks, Lego, jams, cheeses, alcohol and even rubber ducks \u2013 it seems practically anything is being used to mark the days of Advent.<\/p>\n Many of them aren\u2019t cheap either, with some selling for over $2000 (the Astrid and Miyu gold jewellery advent calendar retails for $2272). However, they continue to fly off shelves \u2013 and quickly. So far this year, four of Mecca\u2019s six available advent calendars have sold out online (though some remain available in-store).<\/p>\n So, why have advent calendars, a product long associated with children and subpar candy, become such hot commodities, particularly among adults?<\/p>\n The first advent calendars can be traced back to 19th century Germany, when Lutherans began counting down the days to Christmas by lighting candles, placing straws in Nativity cribs, or reading daily Bible verses. Over time, small toys or sweet treats became go-to contents, both of which were effective in generating excitement among children in the lead-up to Christmas Day.<\/p>\n Tom Bosanquet, director of luxury packaging company Wrapology, says the content of advent calendars has significantly broadened in the past 25 years, growing from being almost exclusively confectionery goods to including adult-oriented items such as jewellery, make-up and accessories.<\/p>\n \u201cThese are products that are typically given as gifts, so it makes sense to create a collection of gifts that can be given away over the festive season,\u201d Bosanquet says.<\/p>\n For many adults, advent calendars also remind them of their stress-free childhood Christmases \u2013 an opportunity to treat themselves while maintaining an element of surprise.<\/p>\n \u201cThe youthful energy and festive excitement of the holiday season is something our customers want to hold on to, and is the biggest driver of demand,\u201d says Mecca\u2019s general manager of merchandise Isobel McNally.<\/p>\n Companies, especially luxury brands, cottoned onto this, recognising the value of offering a selection of product samples to potential customers. Usually advertised as discounted compared to the cost of each product individually, they make consumers feel as if they can experience luxury at a reduced price.<\/strong><\/p>\n Mecca offers an array of advent calendars, ranging from Diptyque\u2019s $729 fragrance countdown to the slightly more affordable $69 Mecca Max make-up set. It even sells a post-Christmas calendar from Maison Francis Kurkdjian, which counts down from the 25th to the 31st and retails for $1629.<\/p>\n \u201cThe extended offering over the years has meant customers of any age can feel the excitement of opening a small gift each day of the holiday season, which really encourages self-gifting, for customers to treat themselves during what can be a stressful time,\u201d McNally says.<\/p>\n Elsewhere, tea lovers can try T2\u2019s range of tea calendars (from $33.60 to $245) while coffee lovers can indulge in Nespresso\u2019s $60 capsule countdown. The Pocket Pop DC Superheroes calendar costs $95.99, and Happy Socks\u2019 24-day advent calendar sells for $384, which is approximately $96 cheaper than if you bought each pair individually.<\/p>\n Bosanquet\u2019s company, which designs and manufactures advent calendars for brands, has seen about a 30 per cent increase in demand year on year. It designs some of the most sought-after advent calendars, such as Jo Malone\u2019s, which retails for $784.<\/p>\n Far from the cheap chocolate countdowns which are thrown away at the end of the season, Bosanquet says modern advent calendars offer longer-lasting products hidden within extravagant \u2013 and often multipurpose \u2013 packaging.<\/p>\n \u201cFor the jewellery brands, we use wood and mirrors to create a box that can be used all year round,\u201d he says. \u201cThe calendars themselves provide a unique unboxing experience.\u201d<\/p>\n