Best advent calendar 2023: a calendar for (almost) every type of person

‘Tis (almost) the season for sticking that out-of-office on, kicking your feet up in front of the television and sinking into Christmas. And that means deciding on the perfect advent calendar. No longer are advent calendars filled with sub-par chocolate. They’re now a much fancier affair, and there’s something out there for everyone.

From cheese-stuffed calendars to daily Lego treats, here are our picks for the best advent calendars of 2023.

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Best for brickies: Lego Star Wars advent calendar

We’re big fans of LEGO here at Stuff, so of course we’re tempted by this LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar. The set features eight LEGO Star Wars characters, including Emperor Palpatine, an Ewok and a Pit Droid. The calendar also offers 15 mini builds, such as The Justifier, a STAP speeder, The Mandalorian’s N-1 Starfighter, Clone Command Centre, and an Ewok village given a festive makeover.

Best for cheddar lovers: cheese, chutney & biscuits advent calendar

There’s no greater Christmas treat than a shedload of cheese. If you prefer cheddar over chocolate, this cheese advent calendar with all the trimmings is the one for you.

The calendar includes 12 mini cheeses, six mini chutney jars and six mini biscuit packs. From Christmas cranberry and vintage cheddar to Sunday roast-flavoured cheese, enjoy the gift of cheese for 24 days in a row.

Best for beer drinkers: Beer52 advent calendar

• Buy the Beer52 advent calendar here

If you’re committed to making this Christmas a merry one, then the Beer52 advent calendar will certainly quell that thirst.

The Beer52 advent calendar features 24 beers in 14 styles and from 11 countries. Need something to sip it all from? No bother, as the box comes with a beer tasting glass. Collectively, the selection is worth over £140, making this a pretty decent bargain for all beer enjoyers.

Best for non-alcoholic beer drinkers: alcohol free craft beer advent calendar

Alcohol-free beer has come a long way in recent years. No longer is it just barley flavoured fizz. You can get AF IPA, guilt-free Guinness and imperial stouts without the 12% damage. If you’re after a beer soaked festive season without the hangover, then Beerhunter’s Advent Calendar of Ale will keep your fridge full for 24 days.

Featuring selections from Thornbridge, Krombacher, Veltins and Brooklyn Brewery, the Advent Calendar of Ale showcases breweries from across the globe without taking a toll on your liver.

Best for spirit artisans: O’Donnell Moonshine advent calendar

• Buy the O’Donnell Moonshine advent calendar here

Just because we’re not living in the prohibition days anymore doesn’t mean we can’t still enjoy a tipple of moonshine. This boozy collection comes in either a 24x50ml mini or 24x20ml micro calendar, and offers a range of surprise flavours every day until Christmas Eve. The perfect chocolate subsitute.

Best for eggheads: EXIT Advent Calendar

If chocolate, booze or tiny building blocks aren’t tickling your fancy this year, then a miniature escape room just might. The EXIT advent calendar plays out over 24 days, with each door holding a puzzle you must solve to complete the mystery. Available in three distinct storylines – The Mystery of the Ice Cave, The Silent Storm and The Hunt for the Golden Book – the EXIT advent calendar is a perfect fit for the puzzle enthusiasts out there.

Best for everyone (except Hans Gruber): Die Hard advent calendar

25 years after its release, the world has come to accept that Die Hard is a Christmas film. And this season, we can celebrate both the holiday season and John McClane with this dedicated Die Hard advent calendar. Sure, it may literally give away the ending of the movie, but few things say ‘counting down to Christmas’ quite like watching Hans Gruber fall to his death over 25 slow, agonising days.

Best for snackaholics: crisp advent calendar

Get the festive snacking started early this year with the Walkers advent calendar. Whether you need a daily fix of cheese & onion, want to go retro with a pack of salt & shake or fancy a more sophisticated bag of Walkers Sensations, celebrate 12 days of Crispmas this year (or 24 for the true crispheads out there).

Best for budding trainers: Pokémon advent calendar

Now that Pokémon cards have entered the realm of the collectible, buying this Pokémon advent calendar seems like a worthwhile investment…or that’s what we’re telling ourselves, at least. While we can’t promise you’ll bag a shiny Charizard in this Pokémon trading card advent calendar, what you will get is 24 days worth of trading cards, booster packs, coins, and stickers.

Best for Whovians: Doctor Who’s Tardis calendar

While Doctor Who is celebrating its 60th anniversary, we can count down the days to the Christmas special with this Tardis-shaped advent calendar. While a little on the pricey side, this officially licensed advent calendar comes with 24 collectibles that aren’t available anywhere else. This includes collectible coasters, an egg cup and pin badges. If that’s the sort of thing that tickles your fancy, then don’t delay.

Now why not check out Stuff’s Christmas gift guide