The wonderful (and weird) world of Advent calendars

These chocolate Advent calendars have been around since the 1950s. You can't really go wrong with these: What kid doesn't like chocolate? Pictured here is an employee in the Wergona chocolate factory in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt. Each year, they make more than 30 million calendars, shipping them to 52 countries.

If the bog-standard machine-made calendar sounds a bit too lazy, try making your own. German parents are really into handmade calendars like the one pictured. Some even spend several months collecting little presents to put in each bag or bootee. Mind you, you can buy these calendars and just add the content if crafting's not your strong point.

This calendar from 1910 just showed pictures. In fact, you had to take each picture from a separate sheet, cut it out and put it into the right place. From 1920 onward, calendars had little doors that you could open to reveal a picture. No sweets, granted, but it was a fun way to count down to Christmas, which was and still is the purpose of an Advent calendar.

If you were born in Germany in the past 40 years, chances are you played with Playmobil. It was also the first toy firm to add Advent calendars to its range. Denmark's Lego followed suit in 2004. So, if you don't want your child to eat too much chocolate, it's a good, albeit costlier, alternative.

We all like presents, which is why Advent calendars are not just for children. Yes, this Lego Star Wars calendar is for little ones, but you don't stop liking Star Wars just because you're older, right? Alternatively, you could go for a calendar with beauty products, fancy tea bags or craft beer. You can even get them for cats and dogs.

... are in store, apparently, if you go for this calendar by Orion. Definitely one for the grown-ups.

Forgot to make or buy one? There are plenty of virtual calendars you can register for. Like this one from the Germany Football Association. Each day from December 1 to 24, you can win various match tickets and merchandise.

Thorsten Erny, mayor of Gengenbach in Germany's southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg, calls it the "world's biggest Advent calendar house." It will show a different character from children's books in a different window each day from November 30 to Christmas Eve.