Advent calendars — those treat-filled charts that help count down the days before Christmas — are a fun, kid-friendly tradition that taps into the holiday spirit. Early Advent celebrations in 19th century Germany often included lighting a daily candle, or drawing successive lines of chalk on the door to mark the passage of time. These days, most Advent calendars are made from cheap, disposable paper and filled with individually wrapped candies. All that paper and plastic adds up to a lot of unnecessary waste.

 

Luckily, over the last few years, a new wave of eco-friendly Advent calendars has hit the market — particularly in America and the U.K. Whether they’re reusable, recycled, homemade, or stuffed with organic and fair trade chocolate — suddenly, the long wait until Christmas just got a whole lot sweeter. (Text: Leah Koenig)