Advent calendars

Modlow Line Advent Calendar €5.90

Highs: This is the only calendar to recognise that Advent is something of a religious event and not merely an excuse to eat chocolate and impatiently count down to Christmas. It is a bright and colourful pop-up calendar, featuring a fairly typical nativity scene, albeit one with a very grown-up looking, blond-haired, blue-eyed baby Jesus, a bunch of children in dungarees and no sign of Joseph anywhere. At €5.90 it's also pretty cheap.

Lows: While it certainly makes a stab at capturing the essence of Advent, the characters look like they'd be far happier in a Love Is . . . cartoon than away in a manger. While parents, grandparents and godparents may be thrilled by the emphasis placed on the birth of Christ, children will probably not be best pleased by the absence of sweets or presents behind the doors.

Verdict: Cute, but where's the treat?

Star rating: ***

Kurt S Adler Lighted Musical Advent Calendar €70

Highs: This is just brilliant, the daddy of Advent calendars. Made of solid(ish) wood, it's hilariously over the top, with a Christmasy jingle, flashing lights and good-sized wooden drawers for the magnetic gifts which, once taken out, can be attached to the tree. Alternatively, you can add your own gifts. It's sturdy enough to last for years, possibly generations, although whether the lights will keep going that long is open to question.

Lows: At €70 it's ridiculously expensive. Nosey children will be able to see (and possibly steal) the presents with ease. If you have more than one child you might want to think long and hard about this. Do you buy one to teach the benefits of sharing? Or buy three and have the Santa Claus is Coming to Town cacophony drive you to drink.

Verdict: The flash, and flashing, option.

Star rating: ****

Marks & Spencer Simpsons' Advent Calendar €3.99

Highs: This is very bright and very jolly and very cheap with sweets behind each panel to make it instantly attractive to children. Said panels are sealed to stop advance eating and it also has a surprise gift which is revealed on Christmas Day - a fridge magnet with a funny quote from Homer. So, that's the surprise ruined then.

Lows: While The Simpsons is one of the best TV programmes ever made, the associated merchandise is usually pretty terrible, as is the case here. This is about as far removed from the Advent tradition as it is possible to get. Forget about the baby Jesus, Christmas itself gets dropped in favour of the utterly neutral Season's Greetings option. This is also ideal if you like giving your children chocolate for breakfast, although actually extracting the sweets from the calendar can be a little tricky for little hands.

Verdict: Sweet and soulless.

Star rating: **

Dunnes Stores Red Advent Calendar €10

Highs: This is another reusable calendar which allows you exercise your imagination to fill the little pockets with little presents. Alternatively, you can use the little felt stick to mark the passing of the days if you don't want to either exercise your wallet or your imagination. It's cute in a pretend homemade kind of way. It is probably the best value - if you get more than a year out of it - and will be the easiest to find this weekend.

Lows: The pockets are very small so the presents will have to be commensurately small. It might not stand up to much pawing by young hands either and could get very tatty looking very quickly. A close look at the labelling reveals that it is not a toy, only a decoration, and should be kept "out of reach of children" which sort of defeats the purpose.

Verdict: Remember, this is not a toy.

Star rating: ***