When should parents stop buying their kids advent calendars? – 17 thoughts on whether people can outgrow Christmas countdowns

Christmas is a magical time of exchanging gifts and reuniting with family. It’s also a time of petty arguments if traditions are not upheld.

At least that seems to be the case for Think-Job-5728, who turned to r/AskUK for some opinions on advent calendar-related etiquette:

‘As parents/children, when do you expect to stop buying advent calendars for your children/stop receiving them from parents?

‘For context, my daughter no longer lives with me, but is married, has her own children and still expects me to buy her an advent calendar! Justified or not?!’

Sadly there’s no chocolate to accompany each of these replies…

1.

‘Never. I’m in my 30s and my close friend and mum still buy me one. I’ve lived alone since 19 and if they ever stop buying me one I’ll throw a tantrum and won’t eat my greens.’
-wharfbossy

2.

‘I’m 52 and my mum still gets me one.

‘I wouldn’t say I ‘expect’ it, but I’d be a bit sad if she didn’t.

‘Bit weird to give it this kind of gravity imo ‍♀️’
-Bloatville

3.

‘There is no expectation. It’s what feels right between the two of you. Things like this aren’t about right or wrong, it’s about sentimental value and traditions.’
-ennsea

4.

‘Never.

‘I’ll buy my kid an advent calendar every year, even when she’s 90 and I’m a 124.. ‘
-NaiveBadgers

5.

‘It’s criminal, that I, as a 36 year old man with two kids has to buy his own advent calendar. My mum should be ashamed.’
-Justboy__

6.

‘My mum still buys me and my sister them (28 & 23), she gets my husband one now too.’
-buginarugsnug

7.

‘Still do it as a cute “you’ll always be my little girl” gesture – no age limit

‘Expects it and gets annoyed if you don’t buy her one? – she can buy her own’
-Immediate_Machine_92

8.

‘My husband got one off his parents this year (he’s 32) and he’s found it delightful. Don’t think there is a too old – and for me, it feels like one small thing you could do as a parent (of course depending on your relationship with your kids) which really does just call back some of that childhood Christmas glee. If my mum got me an advent calendar it would definitely cheer me up.’
-swoopstheowl

9.

‘Never. Just change them up. Cheese/jam/Lego I’ve had all sorts over the years and gifted all sorts. Bit of fun, no expectation.’
-Plus_Sherbet460