The word advent comes from a Latin word meaning "arrival" and advent calendars are often used to mark the number of days left before a special event.

Advent calendars are most commonly seen at Christmas, but they can be used to count down the days to an occasion such as your birthday, a friend's arrival, the start of a holiday, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah or the Chinese New Year.

You can adapt these calendars to suit any event, so pick one that's important to you.