These Advent Calendars Are Perfect for the Man Who Snacks, Games, Tinkers, or Cooks

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Christmas trees, string lights, Santa inflatables, piney wreaths—some holiday traditions never die. In the case of the ubiquitous Advent calendar, they’ve only gotten more creative and cool over the years.

Advent calendars feature small numbered flaps which open to reveal gifts or treats over the course of the 12 or 24 days leading up to Christmas Day. Usually ending on Christmas Eve, Advent calendars are a way to spread the holiday joy through the month of December, ensuring that those presents around the tree stay wrapped up until Christmas morning. (If you don’t celebrate Christmas, might we recommend using an Advent calendar to count down to your holiday break from work or school?)

These Advent calendar gifts range drastically, holding anything from small wrapped chocolates to unique trinkets or ornaments. That said, most Advent calendars stay the course with more traditional options, steering clear of gifts that might be tailored to a male audience.

Whether you have a special guy in your life who loves snacking and hot sauces, or a dad who’s still caught in Beatlemania and loves retro gaming, we have your gift ideas covered. If you’re looking for Advent calendars for men, we’ve rounded up options best-suited to fit the tastes of any kind of man before the Christmas Day.

Need more holiday help? Check out our picks for the best gifts for movie lovers, best gadget gifts, and unique gifts for dads.

Toiletry Advent Calendar

If you know a man who wants a skincare or grooming routine and doesn’t know where to begin, get them this toiletry Advent calendar. This big pack of accessories, tools, and products will introduce that giftee to a batch of new lotions, gels, balms, and scrubs during his countdown to Christmas.

With 24 days of gifting, he’ll be able to enjoy self-care that makes him feel like he’s getting the spa treatment at home.

Fish Lure Advent Calendar 2023 for 24 Days

For the fisherman if your life, revamp their tackle box over the course of this holiday season. Instead of cookies or chocolates, open up a brand new fish lure each day. These lures are made of durable materials and will hold up to fresh and salt water without degrading over time.

The lures come in vibrant colors and a number of shapes, many of which have a shine or feather attached to attract new fish.

Advent Calendar 2023

Tinkerers and handymen rejoice! This advent calendar from tool company Wera opens up one day at a time like the rest of the options on this list, but builds to something more.

Each day, you gain a new piece of a growing tool set made of Allen wrenches, screwdrivers, and more. Open up new tools every day, until, by Christmas Eve, you have a full set that lasts you all year long (and many years to come—Wera tools are legit).

Each year is a different set of tools, too, so even if you buy it this year, you can get your handyman another one next year with a fresh collection of items.

Spice Advent Calendar

Twenty-four days, 24 spices. This calendar has plenty of herbs and spices for that at-home chef to use for fish, meat, side dishes, vegetables, and even desserts. Each opening day offers not simply a new flavor profile to test out, but suggested meals and foods that the spices pair well with.

This hand-assembled collection of spices is sure to serve up some pungent aromas in the kitchen for the holiday season.

2023 Men’s Skincare Essentials Advent Calendar

Anyone can use a little more self-care and this calendar from UK-based Barber Pro will have your guy feeling pampered and moisturized by the end of the year. Best of all, these products are all designed for men with facial hair.

It’s easy to use and perfect if he’s new to skincare and wants to try out some new products without getting stuck with a huge quantity of something he may not like. This curated assortment of face masks, eye masks, and putties will have him relaxed and refreshed.

The Office 12 Days of Socks

If you know a Peacock subscriber, chances are high that they’re a huge fan of The Office. This Advent calendar will help that fan in your life show off their love of the mockumentary-style sitcom in the form of socks—12 pairs, to be exact.

With a countdown of 12 days till Christmas, this set includes plenty of men’s socks that’ll impress anyone who wishes they were a Dunder Mifflin employee, whether they want to live in Scranton or not.

Batman Advent Calendar

Throw a Gotham City Christmas with this Batman calendar filled with classic ’60s comic-styled Batman and Robin throughout. Twenty-five windows hold fun surprises from pins to patches and recipe cards to ornaments. Fans will love counting down the days til Christmas with the heroes and villains of Gotham all represented here.

Anyone who loves Batman or the Golden Age of comics will find something to appreciate in these windows.

8 Day Cocktail Advent Calendar

This is great for any guy who enjoys a lowball to wind down during the evening. The experts at Woodford Reserve, one of the oldest distilleries in the country, filled this advent calendar with everything you'll need to create artisanal cocktails at home.

The perfectly portioned cocktail mixes and barrel-aged bitters will thrill any bourbon lover and add some holiday cheer to their glass, all that's missing is the Woodford Reserve whiskey.

Whiskey Advent Calendar 2023

If you ever needed a reason to add a few new tasty whiskeys to your collection, this Advent calendar from Flaviar is packed full of them. Filled with 24 different sample bottles, taste whiskeys from around the world from bourbon and scotch to Irish whiskey and Canadian rye.

Alongside the whiskey, this calendar comes with a whiskey journal to help document tastes and impressions as well as a leather coaster and custom tasting glass.

Star Wars 2023 Advent Calendar

Star Wars and related toys likely describe a lot of men’s childhoods, so this fun advent calendar will take him back to a nostalgic Christmas morning.

The calendar includes beloved classic characters in festive holiday attire, plus a load of mini-builds that any collector of Lego or Star Wars will love. The 24 piece set has everything from character figurines to buildable mini starfighters, as well as a wintry backdrop for displaying (or playing with) your new favorite toys.

Christmas Popcorn Advent Calendar

This Advent calendar is perfect for the man who always keeps food around. Exclusively from Williams-Sonoma, this fun gift includes a wide assortment of popcorns and popcorn seasonings that he can enjoy on Christmas Eve—if he can wait that long.

The calendar has a poem with instructions on the back so he can assemble a mixture of sweet and savory popcorns for the holidays, from mushroom to purple popcorn kernels, to salted caramel cocoa and creamy ranch seasonings.

Jerky Advent Calendar Featuring "Cow Caroler" Artwork

Forget the chocolates and popcorn. Celebrate the holiday season with an Advent calendar that snacks the right way. This option from Man Crates offers a treat every day, but instead of something sweet or crunchy, it delivers a taste of jerky.

Over the course of 25 days, try out new flavors of jerky from classics all the way to strange new options including a root beer flavor. The front of the calendar also has a print of festive cow carolers to set the holiday “moo”-d.

Super Mario Advent Calendar

This Amazon exclusive is great for those men who loves the iconic Nintendo characters. Here, they are geared up for Christmas and winter. There’s Santa Mario, Snowman Luigi, and a bunch of other exclusive figurines and accessories that have never been released. Yoshi, Peach, and Toad will also make appearances and will be appreciated by any ’90s kid.

Build up the excitement for the holidays with these enduringly loved characters from childhood and reminisce about that morning you unwrapped your first Nintendo console.

Collector’s 24-Pack Gift Set

Lovers of The Beatles are no stranger to limited-edition products, and this 24-day Advent calendar from Happy Socks is sure to blow anyone still in the Beatlemania-craze away.

Twenty-four days and 24 pairs of colorful socks, this set combines Happy Socks’ incredibly comfy, soft, and organic combed cotton socks with iconography from The Beatles’ discography. Pricy, sure, but it’s guaranteed to sell out before the holidays even begin.

Coffee Advent Calendar Variety Pack

A warm and delicious countdown for the holidays, this is perfect for the man you’d prefer not to talk to until he’s had his first cup of coffee. This advent calendar has Keurig-compatible pods of coffee and cocoa in festive flavors from favorite brands like Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and Swiss Miss.

It’s a fun way to change up their go-to brew and slowly drip a little holiday spirit into their mug. So, no matter how they like their java, theres a fresh new cup of it to try every morning as they count down to Christmas.

12 Days of Hot Sauce Advent Calendar

Perfect for the man who craves heat, this Advent calendar includes twelve 1.75-ounce hot sauce bottles to spice up the holiday season. Instead of square windows, this calendar features small curved punch outs that hide bold flavors with even bolder names, like Reaper Evil and Son of Zombie.

If you know someone who loves habanero peppers, vinegar, and garlic, they’ll love this fun calendar.

Gemstone Advent Calendar

For the geologists and rock nerds, try this Advent calendar from National Geographic. Filled with unique rocks and gemstones, each day comes with a new polished touchstone to hold, inspect, and add to your collection. This calendar also comes with an informative flap that tells you about each stone so you can learn as you open.

The unique necklaces give you a chance to sport your favorite stones as jewelry, while the finale gemstone is hidden away and must be chipped out like a true geologist.

Advent Calendar Gift Box with 24 Brain Teaser Puzzles Toys

This Advent calendar is filled with a bit more than trinkets or snacks. Instead of a bite of chocolate each day, test your mind with these brain teasers. Each day comes with a wooden or metal puzzle to figure out.

The metal options are designed to be taken apart while the wooden options are meant to be built. These brain teasers are great for kids, yet still tough enough to stump many adults.

Tequila Advent Calendar 2022

If your guy isn’t big into whiskey but still likes a drink that warms him to the core, try this 12-day Advent calendar filled with different types of tequila. These tequilas span a few different brands and flavor profiles from blancos and reposados to añejos.

Each day comes with a mini bottle for you to taste on the rocks or even mixed with some cocktail ingredients for a refreshing way to celebrate the holiday season.

Christmas Jigsaw Puzzle Advent Calendar

This calendar gives your guy a 42-piece puzzle each day leading up to Christmas, each of which is a portion of a larger, 1,008-piece puzzle. So, come Christmas Day, they’ll have completed the whole puzzle. (Spoiler: The final image is a living room decorated to the max with Christmas spirit.)

Each piece has a number on the back corresponding to the correct box, so you can pack them all back in and enjoy this holiday novelty for years to come—or gift it forward to other puzzle lovers.

24 Days of Tea Advent Calendar

If your guy prefers tea over coffee, this advent calendar has 24 bags of finely sourced tea for every day of the season; Chinese black tea and Scandinavian tea with elderflower are just some of the ones they can soothingly start or end their day with.

Both avid tea drinkers and people who want to ditch coffee will appreciate the wide variety and take a minute or two for themselves during the crazy holiday season.

Woodland Advent Calendar

This advent calendar from L.L.Bean is decorated with festive imagery like holly, knit hats, and of course, the brand's iconic silhouette and winter staple, the Bean Boot.

The drawers can be filled with his favorite confections, personal notes, or any other small gift to brighten up his holiday season. And since it's sturdy and seasonal, your man can use it year after year and change up the contents.

Beer Advent Calendar 2023

Enough with the hard liquor. If you're looking for a calendar with a little booze for the holiday season, check out this option. With 12 days of beer, you can try unique and flavorful suds from around the world.

Each day has a new flavor of beer across varying types from IPAs to lagers and pilsners. For a guy with a taste for hops over the hard stuff, keep this one in mind.

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