14 pop culture advent calendars for geeky holiday fun
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Winter is fast approaching, and along with that comes all the winter holidays and festivities. Chances are, you've heard the warnings about supply chain issues and shipping delays that will affect your holiday orders, and are aware that you may not be able to count on last-minute gifts to arrive on time. That means you're best off ordering everything you'll need for the holiday season as soon as possible, including gifts, decorations, outfits, and — yes — advent calendars. To help you get a head start on your holiday countdowns, we've rounded up some of the best pop culture-inspired advent calendars you can buy or preorder right now, so you won't have to miss out on any holiday fun.
Anyone looking to channel their inner Pokémon trainer this holiday season can take home this Pokémon Battle Figure Multipack Deluxe Holiday Calendar, which holds 24 different mini figures. Anyone who wants to bring some wizardly magic to their holiday season has the option of doing so via candy with this William Sonoma Harry Potter Advent Calendar or via mini figurines with this Funko Pop! Harry Potter Advent Calendar.
Some advent calendars on the market have a playful touch, like this Lego Marvel The Avengers one with buildable elements, and this Dice Advent Calendar that lets you collect dice sets you can use in your favorite role-playing game.
Whether you're looking for a calendar inspired by movies like Home Alone or The Nightmare Before Christmas, or one devoted to a popular sitcom like Friends, there's definitely an advent calendar with a theme that can match your interests. Gamers can have a fun time counting down the holidays too, with advent calendars inspired by Fallout and Five Nights at Freddy's.
If you're ready to geek out throughout the holiday season, check out some of the best pop culture-inspired calendars you can buy this year.
<em>Pokémon</em> Battle Figure Multipack Deluxe Holiday Calendar
If you're striving to "catch 'em all" and "be the very best, like no one ever was," you may want to take home this advent calendar that hides a different Pokémon figure behind each door. To add to the festiveness, some of the figures even feature winter holiday accessories: Pikachu's wearing a Santa hat, Bulbasaur's sporting an elf hat, Squirtle's rocking earmuffs and holding a snowball, while Charmander's decked out in a pom pom beanie.
Lego Marvel <em>The Avengers</em> Advent Calendar
Whether you love Marvel superheroes or collecting Legos, this calendar has got you covered. Over the course of 24 days, you'll collect figures of Iron Man, Spider-Man, Black Widow, Thor, Captain Marvel, Thanos, and Nick Fury, along with other Lego props inspired by the Marvel Universe. You will get all the fun of building Legos and counting down the holiday in one package.
<em>Home Alone</em>: The Official AAAAAAdvent Calendar
Home Alone is one of those quintessential holiday movies, so an advent calendar inspired by the franchise just makes sense. The calendar features a pop-up tree with 24 mini paper ornaments you can add to the tree each day for your countdown. It also comes with a booklet titled Kevin's Guide to (Harmless) Holiday Pranks, so you can bring the fun of Kevin's adventures right into your own home.
<em>The Nightmare Before Christmas</em>: Official Advent Calendar: Ghoulish Delights
Halloween quickly slips into the Christmas season, and The Nightmare Before Christmas is a classic that perfectly ties two holidays in one. This calendar is perfect for anyone looking to intertwine their favorite holidays and embrace Jack Skellington (and all the Pumpkin King's antics). You'll collect stickers, ornaments, mini booklets, and more all inspired by the gothic, yet humorous Tim Burton film.
<em>Fallout</em>: The Official Vault Dweller's Advent Calendar
Fallout is a popular role-playing game that takes place in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic world where many have taken to living in underground nuclear shelters. And while Fallout may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of "holiday spirit," this calendar finds a way to make it work well. As you count down, you'll collect different small trinkets inspired by the video game, like a pop socket, paper ornaments, and recipe cards.
Dice Advent Calendar
If you love tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons, you know how important it is to have a good dice collection. For each day of this countdown leading up to the final day, you collect a different polyhedral die along with two bonus items. That means you will end the first 23 days with three complete seven-dice sets that are standard for most tabletop role-playing games. On the final day, you will receive another full 7-piece set. The calendar is available in four different versions — Dice Goblin, Mighty Forge, Fairy Fire, and Dragon Hoard — and the style and material of your final set of dice will depend on which version you purchase.
Grinch Advent Calendar
If your favorite Christmas tale is about how the Grinch, who once lived far away from Whoville in the mountains, had his heart grow three sizes and came to love Christmas, this handmade wooden calendar is a must-have for your holiday celebrations. Each drawer features a picture of a different Grinch (from the different movies and books), and there's even a mini Christmas tree in the top cubby. Note: You will have to fill the drawers with candy and other goodies yourself.
Jazwares Roblox Holiday Advent Calendar
If you're a fan of the online gaming platform, Roblox, this calendar includes two codes you can redeem online to unlock exclusive virtual Roblox items. But virtual prizes aren't all you'll get. The calendar also comes with six character figures: an Elf, Festive Tree, Gingerbread Man, Magical Reindeer, Santa Claus, and Snowman.
<em>Friends</em>: The Official Advent Calendar
Bring the humor and friendship of Central Perk into your home with this Friends advent calendar. Each day, you'll collect a small novelty item inspired by the hit sitcom, like recipe cards, paper ornaments, and mini booklets.
Harry Potter Advent Calendar
For all the Harry Potter fans who wish Honeydukes was a real candy shop, this advent calendar allows you to indulge in some of your favorite on-screen candies. You'll count down the days to Christmas with Fizzing Whizbees, Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, and Gummy Frogs.
Funko Advent Calendar: Harry Potter
But not all Harry Potter fans may have a sweet tooth. In which case, you can opt for this Funko Pop! advent calendar that allows you to bring a piece of your favorite wizarding world into your home with 24 mini figurines of some of the series most iconic characters, including Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley.
Funko Pop! Advent Calendar: <em>Five Nights at Freddy's</em>
You may think a cross between a survival horror, jump scare video game and a holiday countdown calendar is a peculiar mix, but peculiarity is what makes this calendar so novel and fun. For 24 days, you'll open a new door to collect a mini Funko Pop! of a different Five Nights at Freddy's character, so you can add an ominous touch to your holiday celebrations sans any actual fright.
The Official Batman Advent Calendar: Christmas in Gotham City
If you love all things DC Comics, this calendar allows you to celebrate the holidays side by side with the heroics of Batman. This calendar has a retro, comic-book aesthetic, and it includes small Batman-themed knick knacks, like a keychain, a trivia booklet, recipe cards, and pins.
Whiskies of the Galaxy
Although galaxies aren't technically related to pop culture, concepts surrounding space and worlds beyond our own are integral to nearly all sci-fi fandoms. This advent calendar includes 24 vials of whiskey, a whiskey glass, a coaster, as well as a novelty booklet with info on the different whiskeys and room for you to take notes. This makes it perfect for the sci-fi geek in your life who loves to explore new drinks just as much as they like to explore space.
