
We buy advent calendars only to toss them out — and I’m not complaining. The chocolates must be eaten on schedule, and the cardboard containers are made to go! But the holidays are about tradition and continuity, like how your mom faithfully brings out that glitter-globed ornament you made in kindergarten. It’s about the memories.
So, lately, I’ve been eyeing advent calendars with a bit more staying power, Christmas decorating ideas that could become a part of my decor year after year. For ages, the market for these was, frankly, weak. But I’m finally seeing contemporary brands like West Elm, Pottery Barn, and Anthropologie step up with options that are anything but disposable — they’re holiday decorations in their own right.