advent calendars

Meaning

1. 1nouncountable

   Special calendars with small doors or pockets, one opened each day in December before Christmas, often hiding a picture, sweet or small gift.

   Grammar: Plural of advent calendar; takes a plural verb: advent calendars are sold in autumn.

   Patterns

   • advent calendars for someone

   Many children open one of their advent calendars every morning in December.

   The shop sells advent calendars filled with chocolate, tea and toys.

   Some advent calendars show a scene from a village.

Word forms

Common combinations

open an advent calendar

She opened an advent calendar door each morning.

chocolate advent calendar

He gave her a chocolate advent calendar.

buy advent calendars

Stores buy advent calendars early in September.

make advent calendars

We make advent calendars from paper bags.

countdown advent calendar

Our countdown advent calendar ends on Christmas Eve.

Synonyms and how they differ

countdown calendar

Countdown calendar is broader and can count down to any event, not just Christmas.

Christmas calendar

Christmas calendar is less precise and might mean a regular calendar with a festive design.

door calendar

Door calendar is an informal description of the design, not the usual name.

Word family

advent noun

the arrival of something, or the season before Christmas

calendar noun

a chart of days and dates

Advent proper noun

the four weeks before Christmas in the Christian year

adventist noun

a member of a church expecting Christ's return

Commonly confused: advent calendars or agenda?

Practice

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