Sorry, chocolate has no place in an advent calendar

As the festive season gets into full swing, Will Gore finds the magic of Christmas in its expectation

As a child, the smells of Christmas pudding mixture and pine needles meandered around Will’s house to form a heady brew (Getty/iStock)

Advent is unquestionably the most beautiful time of the year. Christmas Day itself is fine, but it is these days of anticipation that are the real delight. The prospect and reality of a takeaway are similar.

I think I have always felt this way, even as a child – not least because I invariably came down with a filthy cold some time between 2pm on 24 December and 8.30am on the 25th. Before my annual illness, I loved the magic of opening a new door on the advent calendar each day during the run-in, and of seeing another advent candle be lit each Sunday before the big day. The smells of Christmas pudding mixture and pine needles meandered around the house to form a heady brew.

This year, advent began perfectly. Last Sunday, Berkhamsted’s town lights were due to be turned on, and after considerable persuasion, we managed to get the kids out of the house for the “grand” ceremony. As we walked down the hill, it began to snow: not much to speak of, but enough to turn the children’s sulkiness about the trip into innocent joy.