Costco's Cheese Advent Calendar Is the Only Advent Calendar You Need

If you are looking for a tasty, relatively healthy way to count down the remaining days until Christmas, consider Costco's 12 Days of Festive Cheese. It's probably the wisest choice among the many options in today's booming treat-filled Advent calendar market.

One of the wholesale club's most popular holiday items, the collection of imported European cheeses has become something of an internet sensation in recent years. YouTuber BigJonTV created a whole 12-part series on the fancy cheeses.

Fans were so psyched to see the item's return this year that they hardly seemed to notice the cost increase. Priced at $49.99 last year, it now costs $54.99. Imported cheese prices are up over 13% since 2021, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service.

Your Costco Membership Is About To Get More Expensive

Unlike other Advent calendars, which often come loaded with sugary sweets, Costco's box of 12 cheeses brings a steady dose of protein, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals, in addition to holiday joy.

Inside the box you'll find tantalizing selections like Manchego, the easily digestible, aged sheep's milk cheese from Spain, and Gouda from the Netherlands, a good source of bone-building vitamin K2. Each selection comes with suggested wine and food pairings—and an appropriately cheesy joke.

American adults are advised to eat up to three servings of dairy daily, according to USDA Dietary Guidelines, which translates to a maximum of 4.5 ounces of cheese. Costco's holiday cheese box weighs in at over three pounds in total, so it's probably smart to share with friends and family.

Other grocers are also offering holiday-themed cheese selections this year. Aldi's own Advent cheese calendar, which includes 24 selections, is already sold-out online, while Whole Foods Market is promoting its own 12 Days of Cheese, with each selection marked down 30 percent from Dec. 13 to Dec. 24. A sampler bag containing three cheeses, salami, crackers and blackberry jam, is priced at $29.99.

No cheesy jokes included.