1 December 2004
Advent Calendars
Advent Calendars come in three basic flavours:1. Religious
Often depicting a nativity scene, complete with stable, angels, big star, travelling kings/wisemen and sheep, the little cardboard doors are prised open to reveal yet more religious imagery, including, on the final day - the big day, signalled by double cardboard doors, the revealing of the ickle baby Jesus looking divine and chubby (and at least 18 months old) on a bed of shining straw. Bless.
2. Olde Worlde
Usually taking design inspiration from pobsy Christmas cards, these calendars tend to depict a snowy Victorian street scene, or similar. Cardboard openings are strategically placed over windows in buildings and can be opened to reveal sleepy children in bedcaps and stripy nightshirts, or over blank ponds to reveal be-muffed skating pairs. Bonus points for carol singers with one of those lanterns on sticks, any appearance of festive birdlife or crinolines. Those fake Victorians sure love their big frocks.
3. Brand Extension
You've bought the doll, used the hairbrush and danced to the singalong karaoke CD: now open the teeny doors during December. Pumped out by toy manufacturers, film studios, record companies and, frankly, anyone with a product to push to children and a large marketing budget, your official merchandise advent calendar looks at first glance like a simple picture of your favourite fashion doll/boy band/cartoon franchise, but a quick examination (read: shake) will reveal that all is not as it seems. Twenty-four uniformly punched cardboard apertures conceal twenty four miniature chocolates, resting in a moulded plastic backing. Advent calendar chocolates are notable for two reasons. One, their design bears no relation to the illustration on the cover of the calendar, being generally shaped as hearts and santas and bells and stars. Two, they somehow always taste the same. They taste like "chocolate". They taste fake and cheap. How do they do that?The point of an advent calendar, in case it isn't already obvious, is to open one door at a time until Christmas. Traditions vary - some have twenty-four doors, some have twenty-five, but each has a little reward behind it.
This year, 'Tis the Season celebrates with an advent calendar with a difference. One virtual door a day, one little surprise behind each one, and no cheap chocolate whatsoever.
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