Anything But Basic: Advent Calendars From Malta’s Independents
There was a time when advent calendars involved opening a tiny cardboard door, retrieving a suspiciously thin piece of chocolate and repeating the exercise until Christmas Eve. Perfectly respectable, of course, but things have become considerably more ambitious.
The mass-produced versions still dominate the shelves, often looking suspiciously like last year’s selection in a slightly different shade of festive red.
And Malta’s local makers, independent brands and specialist retailers have been getting rather creative with the concept. Some have handcrafted their own collections, others have curated products from further afield, but all offer something a little different from the usual supermarket selection.
Here are seven worth investigating this Christmas.
Tettiera: The Botanical Conservatory
Maltese tea specialist Tettiera has created an elaborate 25-day Botanical Conservatory calendar, housed in a beautifully illustrated floral keepsake dome with individual drawers. Inside is an eclectic collection of loose-leaf teas, chocolates by Manouche, French biscuits from La Sablésienne, Barú marshmallows and botanical-inspired gifts, including gin botanicals to pair with Island8 gin, a porcelain teacup and a bird-shaped infuser. It’s an unusually ambitious interpretation of the advent calendar, and the decorative packaging is almost as much of an attraction as its contents.
Price: €150
Website
Carisma Collections: Four Days of Jewellery
Maltese jewellery brand Carisma Collections has taken a different approach with its four-day advent calendars, presented in a light-up Christmas tree containing four pieces of jewellery to unwrap from 22 to 25 December.
There are around 30 ready-made variations to choose from, including pearls, Maltese Cross designs and matching jewellery sets. Alternatively, customers can select their own four pieces in-store, with a 30% discount and the calendar included. There’s even an early-access option featuring designs launching in 2027.
Price: From €109.99, depending on the collection
Website
Vicky Coffee: Twelve Days, Twelve Countries
Gozitan artisanal speciality coffee roaster Vicky Coffee, also featured in my guide to Malta’s best coffee shops, has put together a 12-day advent calendar featuring twelve coffees from twelve countries, with origins ranging from Costa Rica and Ethiopia to Thailand, China and Jamaica’s celebrated Blue Mountain coffee.
Each comes in a 60g portion, with whole-bean and ground options available. With 720g of freshly roasted coffee to work through, there’s hardly a shortage of caffeine.
Price: €65
Website
Beer Head: The Crafty One & The Deluxe One
Malta’s independent craft beer specialists have created two 24-day calendars featuring beers from international breweries. The Crafty One offers a more approachable selection of lagers, pilsners, blonde ales, wheat beers and IPAs.
For the seasoned enthusiast, The Deluxe One ventures into more adventurous territory, with New England IPAs, imperial stouts, sours, barrel-aged beers and rare seasonal releases. Twenty-four different beers, two rather different approaches to December.
Prices: €85 / €150
Website
Wicks & Locks: A Very Fragrant December
Maltese home-fragrance brand Wicks & Locks, founded by sisters Withney and Justine, has created a 25-day advent calendar devoted to its locally handcrafted simmering granules.
Each surprise introduces a different fragrance, offering twenty-five opportunities to change the atmosphere at home. An interesting alternative to the usual scented candle collection, particularly for anyone whose idea of a good evening involves making the house smell considerably more expensive than it is.
Price: €60
Website
6FIFTYTWO: Twenty-Four Days of Little Luxuries
Maltese lifestyle and beauty brand 6FIFTYTWO, known for its silk pillowcases, hair accessories and everyday luxury essentials, has created a 24-day calendar featuring silk scrunchies, an eye mask, festive charms and new releases, including a signature hand cream and a pillow mist developed with Scentopia.
The brand advertises a combined product value of more than €300, all presented in colourful numbered boxes with a reusable 6FIFTYTWO bag. It’s certainly indulgent. Then again, December is a perfectly respectable time to be a little extravagant.
Price: €159.95
Website
Il-Fjamma: Twenty-Four Little Christmas Trees
Il-Fjamma has brought back its handmade wax melt advent calendar, featuring 24 miniature Christmas tree-shaped melts, individually hand-poured using 100% soy wax.
Each door reveals a different fragrance, combining the brand’s signature scents with limited-edition Christmas and winter creations. A charming alternative to the traditional advent calendar, particularly for anyone who takes their festive fragrances rather seriously.
Price: €32.95
Website
An advent calendar is, after all, just a rather elaborate way of giving yourself a present every morning. And if you’re going to commit to the ritual, you might as well make it interesting.
