The Reverse Advent Calendar: how to give back this Christmas

No doubt you’ll have witnessed the hype that surrounds advent calendars these days.

You can get an advent calendar full of wine, beauty products, stationery or whisky, to name just a few different varieties.

However, these advent calendars can be extremely pricey and many people feel that they are just another example of the consumerism that surrounds Christmas.

All year round there are lots of families who experience hard times, and these can be even more difficult to bear at Christmas.

While much of the world experiences excess over the Christmas period, sadly there are many families struggling.

Winter is a particularly expensive time of year anyway, with extra heating and food bills, and the cost of living just keeps going up.

Christmas is an added expense which many low income families just cannot afford.

It often comes down to a choice between Christmas presents and food, and that is an upsetting reality for so many families.

Food bank use is increasing as a lot of people find they do not have enough money to buy what they need from the grocery store.

You might be looking for a way to help out and this is where the new Christmas tradition of a reverse advent calendar comes in.

If you want to give back to someone in need this holiday season a reverse advent calendar is a really easy way to do it.

What is a reverse advent calendar?

A reverse advent calendar is a box full of much needed food, toiletries and household products that is gifted to a family in need at Christmas.

It is simple to put together and donate, and is a great idea if you’d really like to help out someone less fortunate this advent season.

Putting a reverse calendar together is also a fun way to get children involved with, and interested in, helping a nonprofit organization and other members of the public in general.

Why is it called a reverse advent calendar?

It’s called a reverse advent calendar because, instead of taking an item out every day like you do with a normal advent calendar, you actually put an item in to the calendar box every day instead.

How do you make a reverse advent calendar?

To get started making a reverse advent calendar you just need an empty cardboard box.

You could also use a large bag or a basket if you don’t have a spare box to hand.

You then put one item into your reverse advent calendar container every day for a whole month (or 25 days if you prefer, to mirror an advent period).

November is the perfect time to start, as the box will be full by December.

It can then be donated to a family in need in plenty of time for Christmas, to help ease the pain and burden of poverty. 

If you aim to fill your empty box by early December, there will be enough time for it to reach a family before Christmas Eve and Christmas Day arrive.

You can also decorate the reverse advent calendar box or bag with festive wrapping paper and other decorations.

However, a charity will often split up the items in the box so you do not need to do this at all.

What to put in to a reverse advent calendar

Below is a long list of reverse advent calendar ideas for things you can put in to your box.

Nutritious and healthy food for children and adults is the starting point.

You’ll need to avoid perishable items to ensure that everything you donate can be used.

There are also lots of non-food items you can choose which are also great options.

It doesn’t matter at all if you pick out an item a day from your own pantry at home, or if these are new items that you purchase from your local supermarket to add to your reverse calendar.

Non-perishable food item ideas:

tinned soup

rice

beans

dry pasta

coffee

tea

longlife milk

longlife fruit juices

cereals

tinned tomatoes

tinned potatoes

tinned fruit

cooking sauces

dry gravy mix

tinned rice pudding

biscuits

baked beans

dried noodles

tomato ketchup

cooking oil

Longlife festive treats:

Christmas pudding

mince pies

chocolate

stuffing mixture

custard

instant hot chocolate

Christmas cake

Essential items for the household:

toilet roll

shower gel

bubble bath

soap

hand wash

feminine products

nappies

toothpaste

toothbrush

deodorant

cleaning products

baby wipes

shampoo

conditioner

Where to take your completed reverse advent calendar

When the box is full you then donate it to your local food bank, homeless shelter or local charity of choice.

You will need to find your closest food bank and check beforehand when it is accepting food donations.

If you are in the UK:

The Trussell Trust have over 1200 food banks in the UK, and there are several hundred more operated by the Salvation Army and independent organizations who seek to help end food poverty.

You can find your closest UK food bank here.

If you are in the United States:

Feeding America help local communities all over the US in need of grocery products and nutritious food.

You can find your closest US food bank here.

Many of these charities will also take a cash donation instead of a typical food parcel donation.

Although traditional advent calendars are a lovely treat for someone, a reverse advent calendar is a great way to help out a whole family this Christmas season.

Food bank donations are often the best Christmas gifts a family in need can receive at Christmas time, and can make all the difference to people this festive season.

A reverse Christmas calendar is truly one of the easiest ways to help others over the holidays, and a lovely way to give back to those less fortunate every year.

This type of advent calendar can be put together in a few very simple steps and really is becoming a popular new tradition over the days of advent.

More Christmas on a budget ideas:

How to have a frugal Christmas