It
is quite amazing how the advent calendar industry has expanded and exploded
over the last decade or so. Gone are the days when it was a simple cardboard
affair with 24 doors that revealed a different picture each day and would
almost always be either a nativity scene or a Father Christmas. The switch to ones
containing daily chocolate treats was disappointing but, admittedly, a genius
move by whoever first thought of it. Getting children used to the daily hit of
sugar before school, and the disposable nature of the whole thing, meant calendars
were no longer reusable and instead became an annual source of guaranteed income
for the chocolate companies that produce them. And now, it's become a goldmine
for any-and-every corporation that chooses to get in on the act. It's yet
another excuse for adults to do something that used to be the purview of
children only and it's yet another way for greedy firms to fleece us out of our
pennies. You can get ANYTHING in advent calendars now. Dog treats (because
apparently dogs have an understanding of the concept of Christmas), licorice, perfumes,
card tricks and mini Pringles tubs are just a few of the ones I've noticed on
shelves. Jessica in our booking office here at work has a large one that gives
her a different luxury teabag every morning. The level of excitement with which
she declares "Oooh - I got 'Chelsea Breakfast' today" is quite
concerning. Still - each to their own, I suppose.
Mine is a Toblerone one, which I was overjoyed to find, but I was not
particularly overjoyed with the pricing. It might have been cheaper to buy a lot
of other chocolate bars, melt them down into triangular shapes and create my own.
Even with the initial outlay and electricity costs, and even if I paid myself
generously for my time, it would still have been cheaper than buying the
official calendar.
RC 13-12-24
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