Forget the usual Advent calendars full of chocolates (which run out in two days). This year the Kindness Calendar is in fashion, which transforms the wait for Christmas into a marathon of small good gestures. Here’s how it works — and how you can copy it right away!
Not the usual Advent calendar with chocolates, but a real calendar designed to give gestures of kindness to the people around us from 1st to 25th December. Of course, we should remember to be kind to others every day of the year, but sometimes we live in a frenetic way and lose awareness of what the right behavior should be.
The kindness calendar is an idea that has spread widely on the Web in recent years so that the wait for Christmas, for those who celebrate it, has a deeper meaning than the commercial drift to which we are now accustomed.
A blogger called Helen, who lives in the UK, posted her Kindness Advent Calendar on the Make Today Happy website a few years ago and it went viral.
Because I like it so much
In a time when everything revolves around gifts, spending and racing against time, this calendar has gone viral because it reminds us of the essence of Christmas: stopping, smiling and doing good. You don’t need money, just a little heart and time.
The author of the Advent calendar dedicated to kindness has made every gesture worth giving to others:
- easy
- fast
- free or really very cheap
The reason is very simple: everyone can practice kindness every day and on every occasion without thinking they have to lose something. Indeed, kindness usually enriches us and makes us feel like better people.
Here are the 25 gestures of kindness to give to others between now and Christmas
December 1: Share this Advent Calendar to encourage acts of kindness.
December 2: Surprise a friend with their favorite chocolate bar.
December 3: Buy something extra when you go shopping to donate it to charity.
December 4: Be kind to yourself by doing something that makes you happy.
December 5: Smile at everyone today, even strangers.
December 6: Offer to run an errand for someone who needs help.
December 7: Decide to become an organ donor.
December 8: Give a sincere compliment to three people you know.
December 9: Write a positive message on a post-it and stick it in your office or somewhere where many people can read it.
December 10: Really listen to the people you talk to, put your smartphone down for once and don’t get distracted.
December 11: Take a relaxing walk in nature as a kind gesture towards yourself.
December 12: Give up your place in the checkout line or in traffic.
December 13: Share a positive post on your social networks
December 14: Forgive someone you are holding a grudge against.
December 15: Thank a friend, an acquaintance or a person you love from your heart.
December 16: Try to turn a negative conversation or gossip into a positive chat.
December 17: Smile and thank the person who offered you a service.
December 18: Dance while listening to your favorite song as a kind gesture towards yourself.
December 19: Always be kind when talking to everyone, even yourself, and say something nice.
December 20: The time has come to express your sincere appreciation towards someone.
December 21: Write a nice message and let someone you love find it.
December 22: Go and visit a relative or neighbor even just for a greeting that brings joy.
December 23: Buy a lottery ticket and give it to a friend, loved one or stranger.
December 24: Place a few coins in a charity box.
December 25: Have a wonderful Christmas and remember that you are a wonderful person.
Bonus ideas 2025
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