Aldi Advent Calendar: The Ultimate Guide

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The big day to pick up an Aldi Advent Calendar or two is coming soon!

Aldi introduced its first wine advent calendar in the United States in 2018, and it was an immediate sell-out. Over the past two years, we have seen Aldi ride the wave of popularity and expand its advent calendar offerings.

In 2020, Aldi offered more than 20 different advent calendar choices, and the company has even created its own holiday around them!

So, what will be available in 2021? When are the advent calendars going on sale? Will there be limits on how many I can buy?

Read on for your ultimate guide to the Aldi Advent Calendars! We’ve got the answers to all of your questions!

What is the release date for the 2021 Aldi Advent Calendars?

Most of the calendars, including the wine advent calendar, go on sale on November 3, 2021. This is the first Wednesday in November, which is the typical day that Aldi has released these calendars in the United States.

In 2020, there were also several calendars that were released on November 25, 2020. These advent calendars were for 12 days, and were designed to start on Dec. 14. We expect Aldi to also release a similar “12 Days” calendar line this year.

The 7-day Countdown to New Year’s Sparkling Wine Calendar, which is designed to start on Dec. 26 and run through New Year’s Day, is typically released on the first Wednesday in December. In 2021, that date will be will be December 1.

Is there a National Advent Calendar Day?

Yes. In 2020, Aldi has started a new celebration, which it is calling National Advent Calendar Day. Aldi has said that the first Wednesday of November each year will be National Advent Calendar Day — the day that Aldi’s advent calendar collection is released. For 2021, National Advent Calendar Day lands on November 3rd.

What is an Advent Calendar?

An Advent calendar is a special calendar used to count down the days to Christmas. It is used during Advent — a season in the Christian calendar that refers to the anticipation of the birth of Christ. Advent is celebrated on the four Sundays leading up to Christmas. Because the start of those Sundays could fall anywhere between Nov. 27 and Dec. 3, Advent Calendars have typically started on Dec. 1 and been used for 24 days.

The first Advent calendars were used by Germans around the 1850s.

Many traditional advent calendars were crafted of paper and had flaps that were opened each day, to slowly reveal a picture of the Nativity over the Advent season. Later, the calendars became more elaborate, with small cubby holes for candies or other treats.

Today, Advent calendars take many forms and contain chocolates, toys, books and more. Some of the most popular Advent calendars in recent years have contained small bottles of wine or cheeses for each day.

How many advent calendars do Aldi stores get?

It is important to know that the stock of Aldi Advent Calendars — like many Aldi Finds items — will be limited. Most stores will only receive one shipment of the calendars, and what you see out on the floor on release day is likely all of the stock that store will have for the season.

Many of the calendars will sell out rather quickly, so if you are wanting one or more, you should be ready to buy them when you see them.

Will all Aldi stores have the Advent calendars?

All Aldi stores in the United States will carry some of the advent calendars. However, not all Aldi stores can sell alcohol, because of the laws in different states and municipalities. If your Aldi does not sell alcohol, it will not carry the wine, beer, sparkling wine, or Vista Bay calendars.

Do the wine and cheese calendars go together?

While it has not always been the case, in 2020, Aldi said that the Wine Advent Calendar and Cheese Advent Calendar were designed to pair up nicely each day. We expect the same in 2021. It’s important to note that the two calendars are sold separately.

Can you buy Aldi Advent Calendars online?

No. Unfortunately, U.S. Aldi stores are not set up for online ordering for shipment. Most Aldi stores do offer delivery through Instacart, and some stores offer curbside pick-up. Aldi has said that the alcohol and cheese advent calendars will not be available through delivery or pick-up. Other advent calendars might, but if stock is limited, you may find them sold out before your order is fulfilled by your local store.

Do you need to line up before the store opens to get a calendar?

In 2020, many Aldi stores did have lines outside before they opened on the day that the Aldi Advent calendars were released. Some stores devised a ticketing system for the wine calendars, which have traditionally been the most popular. Other Aldi shoppers reported seeing the wine calendar and others in stock in stores days or even weeks after the release date.

So, there’s no way to predict what will happen with crowds or stock levels at your local Aldi store. If snagging a particular calendar is important to you, you may want to plan to be there at open on Nov. 3.

Will there be purchase limits on the Advent Calendars?

In 2020, Aldi limited each customer to two of the following calendars:

• Wine Advent Calendar
• Beer Advent Calendar
• Vista Bay Hard Seltzer Advent Calendar
• Sparkling Wine Countdown to the New Year Calendar

There was a limit of six on the following calendar:

• Emporium Selection Cheese Advent Calendar

Aldi says its stores reserve the right to limit other purchases, as well, and we expect similar limits to be in place in 2021.

What Aldi Advent Calendars will be available?

Aldi has not yet released details on its 2021 Advent Calendars.

Here’s a look at the entire 2020 collection:

Merry & Bright Wine Advent Calendar

The Aldi Wine Advent Calendar was released on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2020. It contained 24 single-serving bottles of wine, each behind it’s own cardboard door. In the past two years, the wine calendar has contained a mix of red, white, rose and sparkling wines. The price for the 2020 wine advent calendar at Aldi was $69.99

Beer Advent Calendar

The Aldi Beer Advent Calendar was released on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2020. It contained 24 12-ounce bottles of different beers. The first Aldi beer advent calendar was released in 2019 in the United States. The Aldi beer calendar sold for $49.99.

Vista Bay Hard Seltzer Advent Calendar

This calendar was brand new to Aldi for 2020! It included 24 cans of the popular private label Vista Bay Hard Seltzer in 12 flavors, so there were two of each flavor. The flavors included black cherry, tangy lemon, passionfruit, ruby grapefruit, and coconut mango. The 2020 Vista Bay Advent Calendar was released on Wednesday, Nov. 4. The price was $34.99.

Emporium Selection Cheese Advent Calendar

The Aldi Cheese Advent Calendar is one of the most popular holiday advent calendar offerings. It contains 24 small servings of different cheeses, each behind a cardboard door. For 2020, Aldi said the cheese advent calendar was designed to pair with the wine advent calendar. The Emporium Selection Cheese Advent Calendar was released on Wednesday, Nov. 4. The price was $14.99.

Barissimo Coffee Advent Calendar

This Coffee Advent Calendar was brand new to Aldi in 2020. The Barissimo Coffee Calendar included 24 single-serve coffee cups.

Moser Roth 24 Days of Christmas Nutcracker Advent Calendar

Aldi offered several varieties of chocolate advent calendars for 2021, and the Moser Roth calendar was the premium offering of the bunch. It contained imported European chocolates — one for each of the 24 days in December leading up to Christmas. This calendar contained varieties such as Mousse with Nougat Chocolate, Creme Brulee Truffles, Latte Macchiato Truffles, Baked Apple Truffles, and Bourbon Vanilla Truffles. The 2020 price was $8.99. This Aldi chocolate Advent Calendar was released on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2020.

Choceur Premium Advent Calendar

The second of the Aldi chocolate advent calendars for 2020 was this Choceur Premium Advent Calendar. This calendar included 24 filled chocolate candies imported from Germany, each behind its own cardboard door. The chocolates here each have their own festive shape. This chocolate advent calendar was released on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2020. It was priced at just $4.99 — an amazing price for the European, fair-trade chocolates inside!

Choceur Advent Calendar

The bargain basement version of Aldi’s Advent Calendars contains 24 milk chocolate treats behind their own cardboard doors. This Aldi chocolate Advent calendar was priced at just $1.39 in 2020. We can’t believe this calendar is so cheap and still contains imported, fair-trade certified chocolates! We have bought these calendars for years and years, and our daughter still chooses this one for the nostalgia of it, even when offered the pricier chocolate Advent calendar options.

Pure Being Premium Dog Advent Calendar

The Aldi Advent Calendar Collection isn’t just food and drink for people — Aldi brings us holiday treats for our fur babies, too. This Pure Being Premium Dog Advent Calendar included 24 salmon and sweet potato treats. These treats were grain-free and all-natural — but we do have to say that many members of the Aldi Aisle of Shame Facebook Group reported their canines were not fans. The price of this dog advent calendar was $5.89.

Pure Being Premium Cat Advent Calendar

Like the dog advent calendar, this Aldi advent calendar included salmon and sweet potato treats for your feline friends. This cat Advent calendar was released on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2020, and priced at $5.89.

Huntington Home Advent Calendar Candle

This Huntington Home calendar candle has a label with the number 1-25, but they aren’t vertical as you might expect for burning the candle. There was a choice of three different scents available in 2020, priced at $4.99.

Spin Master Paw Patrol Advent Calendar

This fun calendar for little Paw Patrol fans included 24 little figurines based on the characters in Paw Patrol. How fun to have a new little toy each day during the holiday season. This Aldi Advent Calendar was released on Nov. 4, 2020. It was priced at $19.99. We should not that this calendar, and the other “toy” calendars below were not exclusive to Aldi — though Aldi had the lowest prices on them we could find.

Mattel Hot Wheels or Cars Advent Calendar

These toy car-themed advent calendars form a race track scene for play as the flaps are opened. They contained car figurines — as you might expect — as well as other car props (racing flags, orange cones, etc). The Cars and Hot Wheels Advent Calendars retailed for $16.99. They were released on Nov. 4, 2020.

Mattel Barbie or Little People Advent Calendar

The Barbie Advent Calendar at Aldi included a full-size Barbie doll on Day 1, and then 23 days of clothing and other accessories for the doll. The Little People Advent Calendar included Little People figures and accessories – one for each day. These calendars were priced at $24.99. They were released on Nov. 4, 2020.

Disney or Marvel Storybook Advent Calendars

A new storybook every day in December? We loved these advent calendars with your choice of superhero or Disney themes. Each book advent calendar included 24 individually wrapped books. The books were 24 pages each, and they measured about 4″ x 5″. The price for these storybook calendars at Aldi was $9.99. The release date for these was Nov. 4, 2020.

Bee Happy Craft Advent Calendar

The Aldi Craft Advent Calendar contained 12 mini crafts geared toward kids. It was priced at $12.99, and the release date was Nov. 4, 2020.

O’Donnells 12 Days of Irish Cream Advent Calendar

This one contained 12 bottles of Aldi’s O’Donnells Irish Creams in different flavors, including Strawberry and Sea Salt Caramel. This calendar had a later release date — Nov. 25, 2020. It was priced at $29.99.

Huntington Home Scents of the Season Candle Set

While it’s not technically not an advent calendar, this set of 12 candle tins was released along with the “12 Days” Aldi Advent calendars on Nov. 25, 2020. This set was one of many Aldi holiday candle releases, and it included 12 holiday scents like Sparkling Cinnamon and Marshmallow Cocoa. The price for this set was $19.99.

My Beauty Spot 12 Days of Bath Fizzers

Beauty Advent Calendars have been a thing at other retailers the past few years, and Aldi jumped on that trend in 2020. This Aldi beauty advent calendar contained 12 scented bath fizzers to make your December bath times more festive. The bath fizzer calendar was released on Nov. 25, 2020.

My Beauty Spot 12 Days of Glowing Skin

The second beauty advent calendar from Aldi in 2020 was this Glowing Skin calendar. It contained 12 different body care items — all with a warm vanilla scent. The Glowing Skin calendar included body wash, body butter, bubble bath, lip balm and more. This calendar was also released on Nov. 25. 2020.

Moser Roth 12 Days of Christmas Calendar

Aldi gave us one more chocolate calendar in 2020, as well. This Moser Roth “12 Days” calendar was filled with chocolate truffles. It was priced at $4.99 when it was released on Nov. 25, 2020.

Countdown to the New Year Sparkling Wine Calendar

This final calendar of 2020 was released on Dec. 2, 2020. This one was not designed to count down the days until Christmas! The Aldi sparkling wine calendar was meant to be enjoyed between Dec. 26 and Jan. 1, with one small bottle of sparkling wine to open each day. The Countdown to the New Year Calendar was priced at $24.99. We’ve got more details on this Aldi Sparkling Wine Calendar in this post!

What was your favorite 2020 Aldi Advent Calendar?

We have to say that our favorites in 2020 were the coffee, cheese, and beer calendars. We can’t wait to see what is in store for 2021!

Discuss all things advent calendar with other Aldi fans in our Aldi Aisle of Shame Facebook Group.

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