Whether you're obsessed with your pet or adding to your fun sock collection, there's an advent calendar out there for you—but they're not always the most personal gifts, unless you make them yourself.

For many of us, Advent marks the beginning of the festive period and having a beautiful Advent calendar to count down the days is a lovely Christmas ritual that helps us get into the festive spirit.

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Advent calendars are popular among Christian church-goers in the Western world, but the idea dates back to the fourth century.

Advent is observed in most Christian denominations as a time of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Christ at Christmas as well as the return of Jesus at the Second Coming. On the ...