Advent calendars have gone far beyond a countdown to Christmas accompanied by a daily treat. That’s a certifiable thingwe’ve noticed at Dieline for some time, and something The Atlantic sees as a “brand-a-palooza.”

It seems inevitable that anything connected to Christmas, ostensibly a religious holiday commemorating the birth of Jesus, would become commercialized and incorporated into the ritual of year-end consumerism. Except for going to church, everything else surrounding Christmas has become more of a commercial experience than anything else. The less devout and non-Christian join in the revelries, giving and receiving gifts, attending Christmas parties, and counting down the days until December 25th with tiny boxes inside a much bigger box..

I’m not going to wring my hands over the commercialization of Christmas traditions like Advent calendars. Those barn doors are too heavy to close now. Plus, if people are getting some joy from it, regardless of motivation, and it’s not hurting anyone, who am I to judge? Finally, we see some really well-designed, unique Advent calendars every year, so, in a very meta way, researching them becomes my own version of the tradition. There are some calendars I see every year, but I’m mostly surprised at what I discover. I get the same thrill as opening a little drawer and finding a beautiful, quirky, or imaginative treat in compiling this list.