Deals of the week: top Advent calendar deals - plus five fun Advent facts you never knew!

Haven’t snapped up an Advent calendar yet? Don’t panic, the December countdown is just days away, but there are some seriously good deals waiting for you.

Here’s where to bag an Advent calendar bargain and brighten up your run-up to Christmas.

Milkybar white chocolate Advent 85g at Iceland

Calling all white-chocolate superfans! Iceland is selling this 85g Milkybar white chocolate Advent calendar for just £2.50. That’s a creamy, dreamy treat every day from the 1 to the 24 of December.

Fun fact #1: Advent calendars began in 19th-century Germany, where families marked each day from 1 - 24 December by lighting a candle or drawing a chalk line. Eventually, the tradition evolved into hanging a different religious image each day.

Moo Free dairy-free chocolate Advent 75g on Amazon

If you’re after a vegan calendar, then pick up this dairy-free, gluten-free, soya-free Moo Free Choccy Advent calendar for just £4.99 on Amazon. That’s 24 festive-shaped dairy-free milk surprises to count down to Christmas Day.   

Fun fact #2: The oldest printed Advent calendar appeared in 1902, and it looked like a clock, complete with a little brass hand you could move each day.

Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate Advent Calendar 90g at Ocado

You can’t go wrong with a Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate Advent calendar. Grab this classic for just £2 at Ocado. Just make sure you order by 2 December, and the offer is subject to availability.

Fun fact #3: In 1908, printer Gerhard Lang created one of the first modern-style Advent calendars: little pictures you could stick onto a cardboard sheet each day. The idea came from his mum, who used to give her children one treat per day in the lead-up to Christmas.

Galaxy Advent 110g at Lidl

24 pieces of smooth, silky, melt-in-your-mouth Galaxy chocolate, 110g in total, for only £2.99 at Lidl. A delicious deal if ever there was one!

Fun fact #4: Advent calendars really took off in North America after a 1954 newspaper photo showed President Eisenhower’s grandchildren holding one to help raise funds for the National Epilepsy League.

Cadbury Heroes Christmas Advent 230g at Asda

This one’s a monster of a calendar. Asda’s offering the Cadbury Heroes Advent for just £3.98 on Rollback. Behind each door you’ll find mini versions of beloved favourites like Creme Egg Twisted, Wispa, Twirl, Fudge and more.

Fun fact #5: The first chocolate advent calendar appeared in 1958. But it wasn’t until 1971 that chocolate advent calendars truly started to make an impact in the UK, thanks to Cadbury, which introduced its own version of the Advent calendar.

Now, no opening doors early, no matter how tempting it might be!