2026 Highland Cow Advent Calendar

About this calendar

A flat box with twenty-four numbered doors. Behind each one is a small Highland cow figurine, about two inches tall, modelled and painted as a different character: a Santa, a guitarist, a knight, an explorer, a chef. One a day from the first of December, and the collection builds itself as the month goes on without anyone having to think about it.

The figurines

Twenty-four of them, with no repeats. Each is modelled in three dimensions and painted rather than printed, so the coats have texture and the props are separate pieces. Between two and two and a half inches tall, which is small enough to line up on a shelf and large enough not to vanish under the sofa the first time one is dropped. The paintwork is the part that holds up: these are finished by hand rather than sprayed in a single colour, so the faces and the props stay distinct.

The countdown

Numbered doors, opened in order, one a day. Opening the wrong one early is the traditional problem with an advent calendar, and the numbers here are printed clearly enough to avoid it provided anyone bothers to check before pulling. The doors peel back rather than tearing out, so the box still looks tidy in the last week.

After December

They do not have to go back in the box. The set works as a shelf collection, so a row of cows can stay up through January without anyone thinking it looks odd. That is usually the argument for buying this rather than a chocolate calendar, which has nothing to show for itself by the twenty sixth. Kept in the box they will last for years, though most people never put them away.

The box itself

About eleven inches by nine, and under an inch and a half thick. It stands on a shelf or lies flat, and it posts easily, which matters because most of these are bought as gifts and sent rather than handed over. The board is sturdy enough to survive the post without extra padding around it.

Specifications

Type	Advent calendar with figurines
Doors	24 numbered days
Figurine size	2.0 to 2.4 in / 5 to 6 cm
Box size	11 x 8.7 x 1.4 in / 28 x 22 x 3.5 cm

How December goes

1. First thing in the morning

   One door before school, which is the whole ritual.

2. In order

   Follow the numbers and the box empties evenly.

3. On a shelf

   Line each cow up as it appears and watch the row fill.

4. Once the box is empty

   Keep the set together rather than redistributing it.

In the box

• 1 x Highland cow advent calendar

Care

These are painted figures, so keep them out of strong sun and away from water, and dust them with a soft brush. Most people leave the set out on a shelf, in which case the box can go flat in a drawer until it is needed again.

Common questions