I know Christmas is not everyone’s cup of tea. I enjoy the run up to it, and an advent calendar is absolutely non negotiable in my house.
We even took things a step further this year and made our own calendars out of doggy meat tins. They are now sitting on the shelf, glittering away, waiting to be opened.
New research from YouGov shows that almost half of Britons, 48%, plan to buy an advent calendar for at least one person this year, and younger adults seem far more excited about it than the rest.
A quarter of Britons, 26%, expect to buy a calendar for children, which makes perfect sense as the tradition started with little ones in mind. One in five, 21%, say they will be buying a calendar for themselves. This jumps to 41% among adults aged 18 to 24, who clearly enjoy a small treat each morning. Interest does seem to fade with age, as only 8% of those over 65 say they plan to get one for their own use.
At the same time, 47% of Britons say they will not be buying or making an advent calendar at all this year. Older adults are the most likely to skip it, with 65% of people over 65 saying they intend to give the whole thing a miss.
Advent Calendars: Bargain or luxury?
For those who do buy a ready made calendar, most plan to keep the cost down. A solid 64% say they will spend less than £10, while only 15% are willing to go beyond £20. The luxury versions, the ones that cost £50 or more, attract only 4% of shoppers. Perhaps they are lovely, but they do make a simple tradition feel more like an investment.
When asked what type of advent calendar people would most like to receive, chocolate comes out as the clear winner at 62%. It seems we are all still rather fond of the classics. Drinks calendars appeal to 18%, beauty and cosmetics to 14% overall, rising to 23% among women. Delicacy calendars, with things like cheeses or small snacks, interest 13%.
Supermarkets and discount shops remain the favourite places to pick up a calendar, with 57% choosing them over online retailers or specialist stores. They are easy, familiar, and you can pick up a loaf of bread while you are at it.
So what do you think? Are you an advent calendar fan, or do you feel the whole thing has wandered into slightly silly territory?
