ALDI Has 17 Advent Calendars—These 2 Are My Favorites

These super affordable ALDI advent calendars are the perfect little gift. They build excitement for the big day.

Aldi storefront — Simply Recipes / Adobe Stock

Do the holidays ever sneak up on you? Life is busy, and suddenly, Christmas is a week away. I’ve had that happen. I live in Minnesota, so there’s usually snow on the ground to let us know the holidays are coming. One year when we had no snow, I knew at least three people who put their preparations off until the last moment, and they rushed about in a panic, feeling very little joy in the process. Well, one time-honored tradition that may help with a joyful lead-up to Christmas is the advent calendar.

First used in the 19th century by German Lutherans, the advent calendar is an old way of counting down to Christmas. The original wooden calendars had little doors and drawers, so you could open up a door each day and see a Bible passage or an illustration.

Advent calendars have evolved over the years, and now you can start your countdown with little doors filled with all sorts of goodies. ALDI offers a bounty (no fewer than 17!) of affordable Advent calendars that contain toys, wine, coffee, and even dog treats.

Choceur Advent Calendar — Simply Recipes / Aldi

Why I Love ALDI's Choceur Chocolate Advent Calendars

I love a chocolate advent calendar, so I bought ALDI's Choceur milk chocolate calendar and the chocolate truffle calendar. The chocolate calendar is so affordable—at $1.29, it's a great pre-holiday gift for kids. Each piece is molded into a holiday shape, like a sleigh or candle, and the cardboard behind it shows an illustration.

Doling out a bite of chocolate every day builds excitement for the big day. The back of the package is made to be colored in, so get out the markers and crayons and give the kids a fun project to work on while they wait.

The chocolate truffle calendar is another fun gift, or you can keep it for yourself. At $7.99 for 24 truffles, it’s a real bargain. There are eight flavors of milk chocolate truffles inside: gingerbread, brownie, hot cocoa, chocolate mousse, snickerdoodle, toffee, salted caramel, and "chocolate snowball." When you need a little boost, get in the spirit by letting a smooth chocolate truffle melt in your mouth.

If neither of these calendars sounds like the one for you, ALDI has several others to choose from that are filled with hot sauce, cheese, candles, and even miniature puzzles.

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