The Mathematics of Advent Calendars

Advent calendars count down from Dec 1 to 24 (or 25). The dates form an arithmetic progression: 1,2,3,…24. The number of chocolates in a typical calendar (24) is a highly composite number (divisors: 1,2,3,4,6,8,12,24). The total number of chocolate pieces if you eat one per day is 1+2+…+24 = 300 – a nice round number. The probability of finding a chocolate in a given door is 1/24. Advent calendars are a lesson in arithmetic sequences and divisibility – a tasty mathematical treat to end November.