The best advent calendars for the 2025 Christmas season

Christmas is a holiday of distinctive scents, evoking nostalgia, warmth, and excitement. It just makes sense then that fragrances would play a role in this celebration, and Diptyque’s ‘A Night of Wax and Gold’ Advent Calendar ($3,850) will have your home smelling just the way Christmas should. Designed as a fairytale book with a gilded cover, the ‘tome’ opens up to reveal 25 pull-out boxes, each hiding a beautiful surprise. From pine tree, sandalwood, berries, amber, and wood fire-scented candles and a selection of exclusive eau de parfums to hand creams, lotions, hair perfumes, room sprays, and so much more, Diptyque’s meticulous curation doesn’t miss.

Tea WG is not one to miss out on a good festive collection, and this year, its limited-edition advent calendar is similarly inspired by literature and books. The ‘Twelfth Night’ Advent Calendar ($788) aligns with the 12 days of Christmas to celebrate the holidays with a dozen different loose-leaf teas. Crack open this seasonal ‘book’ to reveal 12 chapters, ranging from black tea, white tea, and green tea to rooibos, all packaged in Tea WG’s instantly recognisable and colourful tea tins – which you’ll get to collect as keepsakes long after the loose-leaf tea’s had been enjoyed.

Scandi bakery and café Venner on Hollywood Road is spreading Christmas cheer this year with the debut of its 12 Days Advent Calendar! From December 13 till Christmas Eve, Venner will unveil exclusive festive offers on its social media on a daily basis, including buy-one-get-one mulled wines, buy-three-get-one cinnamon buns, $68 orange wines all day, and more. While this one’s not an advent calendar for you to take home, if you live or spend time in the Sheung Wan area, why not pop by Venner on the way out each morning to delight yourself with a delicious surprise?

Hotels are seasoned experts in putting together festive hampers and advent calendars, and Kowloon Shangri-La is stepping up to the plate with the Shangri-La Box ($2,288). This luxurious advent calendar will have you opening daily drawers to reveal sumptuous chocolates, gingerbread treats, festive bites and snacks, and even a whole DIY gingerbread Christmas tree kit to get everyone in the family involved. Moreover, the Shangri-La Box also comes with dining vouchers valid for Kowloon Shangri-La, and a voucher for a cake from Baked by Shangri-La!

It’s the most decadent time of the year, and if we’re going big then we’re going with Lane Crawford. It would seem that the Hong Kong luxury retailer has been thinking along the same lines, as the motto of their 2025 Not An Advent Calendar ($3,580) is “size matters”. Away with the sample-size goodies, Lane Crawford decrees – open each day’s candy cane-patterned box for full-size beauty products instead, from beloved brands such as Miriam Quevedo, Niance, Royal Fern, Ormaie, Estee Lauder, ThisWorks, La Mer, SkinCeuticals, and more! Altogether, the collection of products are worth almost $20,000, so this is quite a steal.

For a more traditional but equally delightful advent calendar, there’s The Peninsula’s classic Chocolate Advent Calendar ($898). Behind 24 doors, a varied collection awaits, comprising truffles, milk chocolates, dark chocolates, carrés, nougats, napolitans, cocoa-dusted nuts – the list goes on. No need to overcomplicate things – all we need to brighten our day is a sweet treat.

Looking like something between a fancy spin-the-wheel contraption and a Christmassy dart board, the Jo Malone Advent Calendar ($4,110) is a luxe holiday gift for the person who is obsessed with fragrances. If that person is you, then you’ll have 25 mini-presents to look forward to! Some of Jo Malone’s best-selling scents are included in the advent calendar as miniature colognes, candles, hand lotions, body mists, and body creams, so you’ll be perfectly equipped to show up to all the Christmas parties this season flaunting a different fragrance each time.