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Often, my first line of journalistic inquiry is just “what’s up with this thing I have noticed that maybe others have also noticed?” which is how I ended up writing about bougie advent calendars this week.
These Christmas countdowns sit at such a fascinating nexus of “little treat culture,” which I have written about previously in this newsletter, and unboxing and haul content. They are a way for adults (and teens) to microdose luxury. We’ve come a long way from waxy chocolate.
For that piece, I was focusing mostly on retail advent calendars and how they fit into how we consume things — and how we consume content of people consuming things — but I’ve also seen other takes on the advent calendar online.
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I’ve seen self-care advent calendars, in which you essentially choose a li’l good-for-you activity every day, festive or not. Take a walk. Read something not on your phone. Watch a holiday rom com. Pack into the car with a hot chocolate and go look at some lights. That kind of thing.
There are also digital advent calendars. I was recently made aware of the magical world of the Jacquie Lawson Advent Calendar, in which you can build a virtual village.
Some are even more lo-fi than that. Back in the day, I used to subscribe to a Paul Rudd Advent Calendar, which was just a different delightful photo of the cutie-pie comedic actor arriving in your inbox every morning for 24 days. The joy this brought me, honestly.
Dior’s elegant advent calendar is priced at $11,000. (Dior)
You gotta be careful, though. A lot of these advents are actually sneaky 24-day challenges in disguise designed to help you finish the year strong or more organized or whatever, which, respectfully, no. I do not love the bootcamping of something that is supposed to be a daily treat.
But I was intrigued by the Avoidance Advent Calendar, which is put out by the newsletter Bad Art Every Day (described by the author as “30% Psychiatry, 30% whimsy, 40% romanticizing the mundane.”)
The Avoidance Advent Calendar essentially encourages you to do one task you’ve been avoiding — like replying to that email, or making that dentist appointment — every day, which actually seems like you’re giving treats to Future You.
What makes advent calendars so fun, regardless of their contents, is their combination of novelty and anticipation. They are a bunch of little doorways to daily dopamine. And sometimes that hit of dopamine comes from finally doing that thing you’ve been putting off for months even though it took five minutes and was ultimately fine.
As for me, I’m doing a (self-directed) Fitness Advent in which I move my body in a way I enjoy every day. It’s pushing me to try new workouts, and reset my routine a little bit by adding that sense of novelty.
We’re in the dark part of winter. Daily joys, whatever they look like, are essential.
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