Advent calendars used to be a cheap way to count down to Christmas with a seasonal picture or chocolate treat, but behind the doors you can now find everything from expensive whisky to fancy face cream. Are they a rip-off that represents the ever-growing commercialism of Christmas, or just a harmless bit of festive fun?
"Christmas isn't like it used to be," is a familiar refrain. Yet even putting the rose-tinted spectacles aside, one element of the festive period - advent calendars - really have come a long way.
There has long been a tradition in some Christian denominations to mark off the days of Advent, from lighting candles to the calendar's austere origins in 19th Century Germany when 24 chalk lines were rubbed off doors.
But counting down to a festival marking the birth of Jesus has changed, from finding cheap chocolate behind the door of a pretty picture - a style popularised in the 1990s - to an extravagant present-filled bonanza boasting everything from pork scratchings to posh toiletries.
These bumper versions vary wildly in price, ranging from £10,000 for a rare whisky version, to a rather more modest cheese offering for £8 from Asda.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42107580