Aldi's Hot Sauce Advent Calendar Will Keep Fans Warm This Winter

Fall is well underway and the smells and tastes of the holiday season are upon us. It's finally cool enough to curl up with a hot pumpkin spice latte or peppermint mocha. For kids and adults alike, the allure of opening a brand new present certainly makes the holiday season even better. While many have to wait until December to open presents, the invention of advent calendars gives us the joy of immediate gratification with a small gift each day.

An advent calendar is a calendar that helps count down the days until Christmas. According to Crosswalk, the word advent is derived from the Latin word adventus, which means arrival. The calendar starts on the 4th Sunday before Christmas to prepare for the "arrival" of Jesus Christ. The original advent calendar was filled with chocolate, but over the years the calendars have certainly upped their game. It is common to see advent calendars around Christmas, but there are also advent calendars to celebrate other occasions. In 2020, hard seltzer brand Truly released a boozy advent calendar to celebrate the start of summer.

Over the years, advent calendars have gotten more and more creative about the special surprise hiding behind the flaps. Costco sells a cheese advent with 12 different kinds of artisanal cheese, while Mattel launched a kid-specific advent with Barbie and her accessories. This year, grocery chain Aldi will be releasing an advent with a spicy kick.

This year, Aldi is releasing a new advent calendar centered around Bay Island hot sauce. According to Food & Wine, the calendar has 24 flaps, each containing a tiny bottle of hot sauce. The sauces range in heat from Sriracha to ghost pepper, which is to say, from mild to very hot. One of the four chipotle-flavored sauces has hints of chocolate. The calendar also offers three habanero-based sauces and 2 jalapeno forward sauces. The calendar will officially be released with all of Aldi's other advent calendars in-store on November 2. Those who prefer curbside pickup can retrieve their calendars on November 4.

If you can't handle the heat, Aldi has you covered with 24 other types of advent calendars. Last year, Aldi even released a pet-centric advent calendar, complete with cat or dog treats. This year, customers can choose an advent calendar that suits their taste and traditions, including a wine calendar, mini cheese calendar, and even a Hanukkah calendar (per Aldi). Customers can check Aldi's website for prices, as each calendar is likely to vary in price.