Praise Be! It’s Advent Calendar Season

’Tis that jolly time of year when, in honor of Jesus Christ’s birthday, we tear open tiny cardboard compartments filled with miniaturized foods. For the spiritually or literally hungry, Advent calendars now hide all manner of novelties: strangely clinical vials of wine, wee tins of caviar (a bump a day keeps the seasonal depression at bay), adorable jars of Bonne Maman jam, a mystery sampling of chile crisps, curated Japanese snacks, Red Bull cans that appear close to full size (less fun), fancy cheese you’ll struggle to fit in the fridge, tea, Nespresso pods (cheating; already small), popcorn, and a collection of whiskey priced at $270. 

The irony is that the lead-up to His birthday was historically somber.