The Heart Behind Our Tea Advent Calendar: Why Our 24 Days of Tea Makes the Perfect Holiday Gift

Every year as December draws near and the weather turns just a bit colder in North Alabama, our family feels that gentle pull toward tradition . . . the tradition of soft lights, warm mugs, familiar stories, and the joyful anticipation of Advent. Around that time, something special begins taking shape in our blending kitchen and around our kitchen table: our 24 Teas of Advent, Piper & Leaf’s own take on a tea advent calendar that invites you to slow down and savor the season.

If you’ve ever held this little “library” of teas and stories in your hands, you know it’s something more than a countdown. And if you’re new to it, we can’t wait to share the heart and history behind one of our most beloved traditions.

How Our Tea Advent Calendar Began (Around the Family Table)

The first spark arrived, as many of our ideas do, while we were gathered around the family table. One of us joked, “Imagine opening a surprise Piper & Leaf tea every day until Christmas!” Everyone laughed, but the thought lingered in that comfortable way good ideas tend to.

What many people don’t know is that customers had been asking us for years to create an Advent calendar. We always loved the idea, but we also knew we didn’t want to rush something so meaningful. If we were going to do it, we wanted it to be special. It couldn’t just be a quick project, but something with heart, intention, and uniqueness.

One afternoon, Caleb began sketching out some design concepts, just playing with shapes and layouts. When he shared the drawings, Brigette looked at them and exclaimed, “It looks like a little bookshelf!” And just like that, the idea of tiny booklets took root. Each “book” could hold a tea, a story, an activity . . . small windows into our family traditions.

Of course, deciding what stories and songs to include turned out to be much harder than we imagined. Our families have so many favorites! Things passed down, things discovered, things that felt like part of who we are. Trying to narrow it to just twenty-four caused more than a few lively debates around the table. Imagine Mrs. Knapp’s bewilderment when Brigette and MaryClaire couldn’t recall a memory that she had considered essential in their home! In the end, though, those conversations made the selections even more meaningful.

What began not as a product but as a shared family dream slowly took shape: an Advent calendar for tea lovers that wasn’t just twenty-four tea bags behind little doors, but a journey through the season with intention, warmth, and good stories.

What's Inside Our Tea Advent Calendar?

What eventually grew from that table born dream is what you’ll find today: twenty-four miniature “books” arranged like a quiet row of stories on a shelf. Each one was inspired by something from our own family traditions: a favorite poem, a childhood story, a loved hymn, a comforting verse, or a song that has shaped the way we celebrate Advent.

Inside each book, you’ll find:

· Two tea bags of one of our artisan loose-leaf blends

· A short story, poem, verse, or song for the day

· A simple activity or reflection

· A QR code leading to recipes, videos, music, printables, devotionals, and other ways to go deeper

It’s part tea advent calendar, part storybook, part family tradition, and part faith-filled invitation to pause and delight in the season.

Why a Tea Advent Calendar Makes Advent Special

Tea has a way of encouraging stillness. It warms your hands, slows your breathing, and gives you an excuse to pause before rushing onward. That’s why we love pairing our blends with the rhythm of Advent.

Every day brings a different blend: sometimes bright, sometimes cozy, sometimes herbal, sometimes bold. Each tea is chosen to complement the story or theme of the day. Many families use their 24 days of tea as a morning ritual, others enjoy it as their afternoon tea hour, and some save it as an evening moment of quiet after a busy day. But what everyone tells us is that it’s the one thing that helps them slow down in a season that can move far too quickly.

That’s the part that means so much to us.

What Makes Our Tea Advent Calendar a Unique Holiday Gift?

There are plenty of Advent calendars out there, but ours carries a few qualities close to our hearts:

1. It’s truly story-based.

Not just a countdown, but a journey of words, music, reflection, and joy.

2. It celebrates the meaning of the season.

We give thanks for the birth of Christ and the hope He brings. The hope of Advent is woven throughout.

3. It’s crafted with local, artisan ingredients.

We use fresh ingredients from Alabama gardens, farms, and forests. It’s tea rooted in real places and real people.

4. It invites families into shared traditions.

Simple activities, songs, and reflections become touchpoints—little sparks that bring people together.

5. It’s created with love, not mass-produced.

Our family’s fingerprints (sometimes literally!) are on every part of it.

A Heartfelt Invitation to Celebrate Advent with Tea

Whether or not this is your first Advent with Piper & Leaf, we hope that each day brings a moment of peace, a spark of joy, and a reminder of the beauty of this season. With every blend you sip, every story you read, and every reflection you pause to consider, know that you’re sharing in something we cherish deeply.

A piece of our family. A piece of our traditions. A piece of our faith. And of course, our tea!

Thank you for allowing us to journey through December with you. We’re so grateful for your support, your enthusiasm, and your place in this growing Piper & Leaf family.

Here’s to savoring the season together: sharing one story, one cup, and one joyful moment at a time.