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Advent calendars have gone far beyond a countdown to Christmas accompanied by a daily treat. That\u2019s a\u00a0certifiable thing<\/em>we\u2019ve noticed at Dieline for some time, and something\u00a0The Atlantic\u00a0<\/em>sees as a \u201cbrand-a-palooza<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n It seems inevitable that anything connected to Christmas, ostensibly a religious holiday commemorating the birth of Jesus, would become commercialized and incorporated into the ritual of year-end consumerism. Except for going to church, everything else surrounding Christmas has become more of a commercial experience than anything else. The less devout and non-Christian join in the revelries, giving and receiving gifts, attending Christmas parties, and counting down the days until December 25th with tiny boxes inside a much bigger box..<\/p>\n I\u2019m not going to wring my hands over the commercialization of Christmas traditions like Advent calendars. Those barn doors are too heavy to close now. Plus, if people are getting some joy from it, regardless of motivation, and it\u2019s not hurting anyone, who am I to judge? Finally, we see some really well-designed, unique Advent calendars every year, so, in a very meta way, researching them becomes my own version of the tradition. There are some calendars I see every year, but I\u2019m mostly surprised at what I discover. I get the same thrill as opening a little drawer and finding a beautiful, quirky, or imaginative treat in compiling this list.<\/p>\n