The holy month of Ramadan comes with its own rhythm. Days feel gentler, nights stretch longer, and life — even in a city like Dubai, known for its relentless pace — slows down just enough to make room for reflection.
This Ramadan, advent calendars are becoming a familiar sight in homes across the city, tucked into living rooms, pinned onto walls, or lined up neatly on sideboards.
Borrowing from the familiar concept of a countdown calendar, often associated with Christmas, these Ramadan versions turn each day of the holy month into a small, intentional moment, helping families mark their time with purpose and build space for spiritual reflection.
So what actually goes inside a Ramadan advent calendar?
Dates and small treatsDates are the natural starting point. Traditionally used to break the fast, they carry deep spiritual and cultural significance.
In many Dubai homes, however, dates don’t appear as a single bowl meant to be emptied quickly. Instead, advent calendars portion them out thoughtfully, including one or two dates per day, sometimes stuffed with nuts, lightly dusted with cocoa, or paired with a short note explaining their place in the Sunnah.
Photo: Bateel
Rather than excess, families often include small treats as gentle markers of celebration: a single piece of chocolate, a date truffle, a bite-sized Arabic sweet, or a sachet of herbal tea for post-iftar unwinding.
Small spiritual remindersAt the heart of a meaningful calendar are daily spiritual touchpoints. These are usually simple and age-appropriate, designed to be easily absorbed.
The notes can include short Quran verses, paired with a one-line explanation or duas children can memorise and repeat with parents. Some families also turn the calendar into a Ramadan book club, discussing a small section of a chosen book each day of the month.
Over time, these daily prompts begin to anchor the month.
Good-deed promptsOne of the most common elements inside Ramadan calendars is a daily good-deed card.
These are not grand gestures, but small acts that fit into everyday life: helping set the iftar table, calling a grandparent, sharing with a sibling, thanking someone who helps them during the day. When repeated across the month, they turn abstract ideas of kindness and generosity into lived experience.
For many parents, this is where the calendar does its most important work. A powerful way of teaching children that Ramadan is about how you show up for others, not just what you refrain from.
Beauty and skincare itemsLuxury Ramadan advent calendars featuring makeup and skincare have also carved out a niche in Dubai, particularly among adults looking to mark the month with moments of self-care.
These versions focus on smaller indulgences — travel-sized serums, lip balms, hand creams, facial mists, and subtle fragrances — designed to support the skin through long fasting days and late nights. In line with Ramadan’s slower rhythm, the emphasis is on restoration and ritual, turning beauty into an act of self-love.
Tiny toys and creative momentsFor younger children especially, physical items help keep excitement alive across a long month.
Photo: Amazon
Common inclusions range from stickers and stationery to small toys or colouring sheets. Some parents add handwritten “experience cards” instead — choosing the bedtime story, picking the dessert at iftar, or helping decorate the table.
Your advent calendar can focus on one — or a mix — of these different elements throughout the month. Platforms like Pinterest also offer countless DIY Ramadan advent calendar ideas that can be easily customised to suit a child’s interests or a family’s needs.
Photo: Pinterest
All in all, there is no single right way to build a Ramadan advent calendar. Some families plan all 30 days in advance, others fill it gradually. Not every day needs a gift, many of the most meaningful entries are just cards or prompts.
Done well, the Ramadan advent calendar becomes less about the contents inside, and more about the rhythm it creates.
-
Cholesterol can be reduced by changes in lifestyle
-
Single life is not loneliness, it is freedom, why is it the biggest choice of the new generation?
-
Do not commit these 5 mistakes on the day of Mahashivratri, you may get inauspicious results instead of Shiva’s blessings.
-
Who is ahead in health, energy and fat burn?
-
Viral dad’s ‘bare minimum’ routine redefines modern partnership
