Advent calendars | For an original count

The countdown to Advent is fast approaching. To change the traditional calendar of 24 chocolates, here are six original suggestions for a unique December.

24 days of missions

Twenty-four days, twenty-four missions to accomplish to… save Christmas. Will your family accept this great responsibility? On the fun calendar of the Quebec company Charlojeu, children daily scratch a box that contains a challenge. Thanks to an explanatory video and the material provided in the game box, they will be able to solve the funny mysteries observed at the North Pole. With its two levels of difficulty, this investigation in the land of Santa Claus is aimed at both 4-year-olds and 12-year-olds.

Advent calendar: an investigation at the North Pole of Charlojeu, available online, in Clément boutiques and in certain grocery stores, $39.99

Véronique Larocque, The Press

By candlelight

Time for yourself. In our sometimes hectic lives, isn’t this the most beautiful present? This Advent candle, inspired by a Scandinavian tradition, is an invitation to allow yourself a 30-minute moment of rest every day until December 24. Only exception: 1^er December, while the beeswax will burn for two hours. Read, meditate, take a bath, cuddle up to a loved one, do nothing: you choose the activity that makes you feel good. The candle, born from a collaboration between the companies Flonette and Miel de la Garde, takes care of the atmosphere.

Flonette Advent candle, available online, $24.50

Véronique Larocque, The Press

For a beautiful Advent

A whole luxury calendar that L’Occitane en Provence offers us this year. This voluminous “box of 24 wonders” contains a host of surprises, including several iconic products from the brand (its divine Immortelle cream, several hand creams, etc.). Open every day until Christmas to discover eau de toilette, body balm and other serums to pamper yourself until New Year’s Eve. While most of the products are small, six standard-size gifts are also hidden here! Valued at $260, offered at $150. Reusable calendar made from recyclable cardboard.

Box with 24 wonders, L’Occitane en Provence, $150

Silvia Galipeau, The Press

Good sweets

Can’t imagine a month of December without a sweet surprise? The La Boîte à Bonbons calendar will satisfy your desires. Each door contains three to six delicious candies, to share or keep for yourself. Flavors vary from day to day in this calendar which contains a total of 600 grams of sweets.

Advent calendar from La Boîte à cannes, available online, $41.99

Véronique Larocque, The Press

Cheese discoveries

Twelve different cheeses created by eight cheese makers from across Quebec are hidden behind the doors of the IGA local cheese advent calendar. Among the products to taste during the month of December, we find, in particular, the Franc-Gilles, a cheddar with aromas of hazelnuts and wild mushrooms, from the Warwick cheese factory, as well as the Montcerviens cranberries, a gouda sprinkled with these small red fruits, from the La Cabriole cheese dairy. Something to inspire you when preparing cheese platters for the festivities.

IGA local cheese advent calendar, in IGA grocery stores, $35.99

Véronique Larocque, The Press

A story a day

If bedtime is synonymous with reading time in your family, we can bet that in December, it will be stories featuring Santa Claus and his elves that your child will be asking for. The book Counting down the prankster elf: 24 great stories to help you wait for Christmas contains short stories perfect for waiting until the holiday season. There we find, of course, the famous bearded man, but also stories taking place at the Christmas market in Baie-Saint-Paul, during New Year’s Eve in Lac-Saint-Jean or on an ice rink in Beauceville.

Counting down the prankster elf: 24 great stories to help you wait for Christmas, text by Rachel Graveline, illustrations by Maggie Zeng, Gründ Québec editions, 56 pages. In bookstores and online, $16.95

Véronique Larocque, The Press