advent calendars

In the past few years, the popularity of the Advent calendar has grown enormously, not just for children either. Alcoholic and various edible calendars now seem to be everywhere we shop. 

Those with deeper pockets can get ones with expensive toiletries and even jewelry. Children’s advent calendars have also seen a huge amount of variation and are often as hotly in demand as Christmas presents themselves. 

The first Lego Advent Calendar is the perfect example. 

But most people think of Advent calendars as printed versions, showing religious or wintery scenes. Each has 24 windows - you open, one each day, on the run up to Christmas. Behind each window is an illustration. 

summer reads

Over here in New York City, we have the weird tradition of celebrating Christmas in July.

Maybe it is simply a commercial bid to drum up sales when the city empties out. As folks leave for vacations or are driven indoors by the overbearing heat.

Most stores start purchasing their inventory for the coming Christmas season in July. To make room for new stocks they usually put last year's unsold Christmas items on sale.