Advent Calendar Statistics 2026: 50 Facts on Buyers, Prices and Trends

Harriet Ashdown · Published October 7, 2026

Advent calendars started as a German paper card. In America they are now a retail category of their own.

Some cost a few dollars. Others cost hundreds. Wine, beauty, jewelry and even dog treats count down to December 25.

This page collects the most reliable numbers on who buys them, what is inside and what they cost. US survey data is thin, so we add UK and German surveys, clearly labeled. Every figure links to its source. For the rest of the season, from travel to movies, see our Christmas statistics. For a quick read on the history, try a brief history of advent calendars at Mental Floss.

Advent calendars at a glance

22%of US adults planned to use an advent calendar in 2024¹

38%of Gen Z in the US were interested in 2023²

$189.99price of the 5-foot Lindt calendar at Costco in 2025³

72%of Britons say they buy advent calendars⁴

Contents:

How many Americans use advent calendars
Who the calendars are for
What is inside: decorative, food, beauty
What advent calendars cost in the US
Where and when Americans buy
The adult and beauty calendar boom
The Christmas budget behind the calendar
History and records
What the numbers mean for businesses
My take
FAQ
Sources

How many Americans use advent calendars

1. About one in five US adults plans to use one

In December 2024, CivicScience reported that 22% of US adults intended to take part in an advent calendar that year, while 78% were not participating.¹

2. The share has barely moved since 2023

CivicScience had the same 22% in 2023, which it described as down one percentage point from the year before.²

3. Nearly one in ten users is a first-timer

In the 2024 data, 9% of US adults said they were doing an advent calendar for the first time, up three percentage points from 2023.¹

4. Gen Z leads, Millennials are catching up

In 2023, 38% of Gen Z in the US were interested in an advent calendar, three points fewer than the year before. Interest among Millennials jumped six points to 30%.²

5. Men and lower incomes are slightly ahead

The 2024 data shows Gen Z, men (slightly) and households earning under $50,000 a year leading participation.¹

6. Half of users grew up with the tradition

Half of US advent calendar participants say it was part of their holiday traditions growing up, and 72% feel at least somewhat nostalgic for the past.¹

7. In Britain, 72% say they buy calendars

In an Ipsos survey from September 2025, 72% of adults in Great Britain said they buy advent calendars, and 81% of 18 to 34 year olds. The wording differs from the US poll, which asked about taking part this year.⁴

8. One in three Britons buys one for themselves every year

According to YouGov, 33% of British adults buy an advent calendar for themselves every year, and 22% buy them as gifts every year.⁵

9. In Germany, 54% plan to buy a ready-made calendar

A YouGov survey of 2,023 people in Germany in October 2025 found that 54% planned to buy a ready-made advent calendar that year, while 42% intended to skip it.⁶

Who the calendars are for

10. British buyers shop for kids, themselves and partners

UK buyers say they buy advent calendars for children (53%), for themselves (51%) and for their partner (40%).⁴

11. In Germany, the buyer is the most common recipient

Half of German advent calendar buyers (50%) give one to themselves. That is more than buy for children (46%) or for a partner (39%).⁶

12. Households without children buy almost half of all chocolate calendars in Germany

Older households without children made up 48% of chocolate advent calendar buyers in Germany in 2024. Families with small children accounted for only 5%.⁷

13. Young adults want beauty calendars most

42% of 18 to 24 year olds in Britain said in 2025 that they were likely to buy a beauty advent calendar, against 11% of people over 55.⁸

What is inside: decorative, food, beauty

14. Decorative calendars are the most popular type in the US

Among Americans interested in advent calendars in 2024, decorative calendars ranked first, followed by food and wine.¹

15. Food and wine led in 2023

In 2023, CivicScience found food and wine calendars the most popular, while interest in toys, beauty and skincare, and coffee and tea calendars all increased.²

16. Beauty, food and toy calendars lost ground in 2024

Compared with 2023, interest in food and wine, toy and beauty and skincare calendars declined in the US in 2024, while decorative and tea and coffee calendars gained.¹

17. A third of shoppers planned to give beauty gifts in 2025

Larissa Jensen of Circana said in 2025 that one third of US consumers planned to gift beauty products for the holidays, a meaningful increase from the year before.⁹

18. Britain: chocolate takes 84%

Chocolate is the preferred advent calendar type for 84% of UK buyers. Beauty follows with 15%, toys with 14% and other food with 10%.⁴

19. Germany: 60% prefer sweets

In Germany, 60% prefer calendars filled with sweets or chocolate, 20% beauty and cosmetics, 16% drinks and 15% other food. Only 11% prefer a traditional picture calendar.⁶

What advent calendars cost in the US

20. Anthropologie: $98 for 24 beauty products

Anthropologie's 2026 beauty advent calendar costs $98 and holds 24 products worth $301, according to NBC News Select. A 12-day version costs $50 for a $128 value.¹⁰

21. Costco: $189.99 for a 5-foot Lindt calendar

In 2025, Costco sold a 5-foot Lindt advent calendar for $189.99, about $7.91 per day for 24 days. It was available only in select stores.³

22. Jewelry calendars started at $495

In 2022, Ross-Simons sold jewelry advent calendars, and its $495 sterling silver set was the best seller at that point in the season.¹¹

23. Most UK buyers spend £10 or less

55% of UK buyers plan to spend £10 or less on an advent calendar. At the other end, 8% spend more than £100.⁴

24. Beauty buyers plan bigger budgets

Among people in Britain likely to buy a beauty advent calendar, 16% would spend £200 or more, while 53% would stay under £100. 64% name price or discounts as their top consideration.⁸

25. Chocolate calendars in Germany cost 18% more than in 2020

The average price paid for a chocolate advent calendar in Germany rose from €6.09 in 2020 to €7.18 in 2024, an increase of about 18%.⁷

Where and when Americans buy

26. Aldi sells calendars from the first Wednesday of November

In 2025, Aldi put its advent calendars on sale in stores across the US and online on November 5. The wine and cheese calendars returned for a second year.¹²

27. Aldi added beer, chocolate and crafts

New for 2025 at Aldi were 12 Days of Beer, a Moser Roth chocolate advent calendar and Merry Moments 12 Days of Crafting.¹²

28. Aldi warned of limits per customer

Aldi said the calendars would be available for a limited time and that it might restrict how many a customer could buy.¹²

29. Half of US holiday shoppers start by October

In the 2025 NRF survey, 51.9% of US holiday shoppers said they begin in October or earlier. 25.6% start in October, 7.9% in September and 8.4% before September.¹³

30. Two in three UK buyers shop at the supermarket

68% of UK advent calendar buyers get them from grocery stores, and 23% shop online. Among 18 to 24 year olds, 30% buy online.⁵

The adult and beauty calendar boom

31. Faire order volume rose 27%

The wholesale platform Faire reported a 27% year over year increase in advent calendar order volume in September 2025.¹⁴

32. Small brands sold about $750,000 of calendars on Faire in 2024

Brands on Faire sold nearly three quarters of a million dollars of advent calendars in the US in 2024, and retailers there search for them all year. More than 100 searched for the term in January 2025.¹⁴

33. Bonne Maman up 400% since 2017

Bonne Maman launched its jam advent calendar in the US in 2017 with a few thousand units. Production has since increased by 400%.¹⁴

34. 1.2 million dog treat calendars

Spunky Pup, a company selling dog treat advent calendars, said in November 2025 that it had sold 1.2 million of them so far that year.¹⁴

35. In Britain, one August week brought £13.9 million

UK sales of prestige beauty advent calendars passed £13.9 million in the week of August 25 to 31, 2025. That was more than double the same week a year earlier, according to Circana.¹⁵

The Christmas budget behind the calendar

36. NRF: $890.49 per person for the 2025 holidays

The National Retail Federation expected US consumers to spend an average of $890.49 on holiday items in 2025, $627.93 of it on gifts for family and friends. It was the second highest amount in the survey's 23 year history.¹⁶ The full breakdown is in our Christmas spending statistics.

37. Gallup: $1,007 on gifts

In an October 2025 Gallup poll of 1,000 US adults, shoppers planned to spend an average of $1,007 on holiday gifts.¹⁷ Not all of that money lands well, as our unwanted Christmas gifts statistics show.

38. 55% say the economy affects their plans

55.2% of US consumers said in the 2025 NRF survey that the economy was affecting their holiday spending plans. Spending less overall was the most common response.¹³

39. ICSC 2026: 88% plan to buy gifts

In a September 2026 ICSC survey of 1,003 US adults, 88% planned to buy holiday gifts and 78% planned to spend the same or more than last year. 49% said they were concerned about affording gifts.¹⁸

40. 95% of Americans mark the holidays with candy

According to the National Confectioners Association, 95% of Americans celebrate the winter holidays with chocolate and candy. The season generated $7.5 billion in sales in 2024.¹⁹

41. For 42% of Britons, a calendar is an extra purchase

42% of Britons see advent calendars as an additional purchase on top of their regular Christmas spending.⁴

History and records

42. Chalk marks and candles came first

Before printed calendars existed, Protestant families in 19th century Germany counted down to Christmas with chalk marks on the door or by lighting candles.²⁰

43. The advent wreath dates from 1839

Johann Hinrich Wichern, then 31, lit the first advent wreath in 1839 at the Rauhes Haus, a home for children he ran near Hamburg.²¹

44. The first printed calendar came from Germany in the early 1900s

The German printer Gerhard Lang is credited with producing the first printed advent calendar in the early 1900s: 24 colored pictures on cardboard. Little doors came later.²⁰

45. Chocolate arrived as early as 1926

According to historian Martin Johnes, commercial advent calendars appeared in Germany before the First World War, and a producer added chocolates in 1926.²²

46. The first calendar sold in the US came from Stuttgart

The Richard Sellmer Verlag made its stand-up calendar The Little Town in 1946. The publisher calls it the first advent calendar available in the USA.²³

47. English instructions since 1948

Sellmer included manuals in English and French from 1948, aimed at American buyers. Between 1946 and 1998 the company produced more than 230 different advent calendars.²⁴

48. Eisenhower and a 1953 Newsweek photo

After Newsweek showed a picture of President Eisenhower's grandson with an advent calendar in December 1953, demand rose massively.²⁴

49. The largest advent calendar measured 71 by 23 meters

The Guinness record for the largest advent calendar goes to one built at St Pancras station in London in December 2007. It measured about 71 by 23 meters.²⁵

50. The most valuable one was worth €2.5 million

The most valuable advent calendar on record was valued at €2.5 million on November 30, 2010. It held 124 diamonds in 24 glass tubes and was made by Octagon Blue GVC in Belgium.²⁶

What the numbers mean for businesses

Three findings stand out for anyone who uses December for marketing or internal communication. First, adults are a core audience: in the US, interest comes strongly from Gen Z and Millennials, and in Britain and Germany buyers pick calendars for themselves as often as for children. Second, nostalgia and the daily ritual drive participation, more than the contents. Third, shoppers are budget conscious, so a small daily surprise from a brand or an employer fits. How December plays out inside companies is covered in our workplace Christmas statistics.

A digital advent calendar uses exactly that ritual without printing or postage: 24 doors with quizzes, coupons, videos or giveaways, sent as a link. See how it works for customers, as a marketing campaign or for employees.

My take

Harriet Ashdown

I think the numbers undersell what is going on. People do not open a door every morning for the chocolate. They open it for a small moment in the busiest month of the year.

That is why adults now buy calendars for themselves, and why nostalgia matters so much here.

For brands, the lesson is simple. One small door a day beats one big email. If it feels like a gift, people come back.

Frequently asked questions

How many Americans use advent calendars?

According to CivicScience, 22% of US adults planned to take part in an advent calendar in 2024, including 9% doing so for the first time. Gen Z is the most interested group.

What is the most popular type of advent calendar in the US?

In 2024, decorative advent calendars ranked first among interested Americans, followed by food and wine (CivicScience). In the UK, 84% of buyers prefer chocolate, and in Germany 60% prefer sweets.

How much does an advent calendar cost?

Prices vary widely. Anthropologie sells a 24 product beauty calendar for $98 (2026), and Costco sold a 5-foot Lindt calendar for $189.99 (2025). In the UK, 55% of buyers plan to spend £10 or less.

When do advent calendars go on sale in the US?

Earlier every year. Aldi started selling its calendars on November 5 in 2025, and beauty retailers listed 2026 calendars as early as August. Opening day is December 1.

Who made advent calendars popular in the US?

A 1946 calendar from the Stuttgart publisher Richard Sellmer is described as the first one available in the US. Demand rose after Newsweek showed President Eisenhower's grandson with a calendar in December 1953.

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