Chocolates are all well and good, but these days there are plenty of Advent calendars that hide something a little exciting — or unexpected — behind their little cardboard doors. Fans of tiny little beauty products or miniature candles are well catered for, but what about the nerds, hmm?

I’ve had a good old hunt around for what I think are the best nerd-friendly Advent calendars you can buy. Lego’s advent calendars are an established annual delight, but I discovered that Funko Pop also makes a wide range of calendars with dinky figurines to suit various fixations. There are calendars for stationery addicts, Japanophiles, and puzzle-breakers.

While snack preferences can transcend social groups, I couldn’t ignore the appeal of 12 days of artisan cheese (and associated condiments), nor the lure of Red Bull’s Advent calendar variety pack. The latter contains a standard can for each of the 24 days leading up to Christmas — although it’s perhaps advisable to spread out the drinking a bit more than that.

Scroll down for 12 days of Advent calendars for every kind of nerd.

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