Tony’s Chocolonely left one advent calendar day empty — and people went nuts

Many people are counting down the days to Christmas with advent calendars, but those who got the Tony’s Chocolonely calendar might not be feeling so sweet this year. The Dutch chocolate company intentionally left one box day empty, sparking anger from some consumers.

They have apologised for purposefully leaving one of their advent calendar days empty.

Why did they do this? It was not to break the tiny hearts of children across the world. It was actually in an attempt to point out the inequality in the chocolate-making industry, reports the BBC

Tony’s Chocolonely aimed to start a conversation about unethical practices in the chocolate industry. However, they failed to consider how some neurodivergent children and adults would react to not getting their advent chocolate like promised. 

The result? Many people were left, not feeling enlightened, just mad. 😤

Choc-full of disappointment🍫

To make up for the lack of chocolate, two days of the calendar were filled with two chocolates instead of one — but the damage was done. 🙅🏼‍♀️

The company was hit with several complaints from parents whose children were upset that they didn’t get any chocolate that day.

One customer remarked how many young children aren’t buying their own chocolate, so upsetting them to prove a point about the chocolate industry was an unsettling thought. 

It’s not all waving fists and pitchforks, however. Other customers remarked how the advent calendar stunt sparked the exact conversation Tony’s was hoping for, calling it a brave act by the company. 😊

How would you feel about a missing treat in your advent calendar? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!💭

Feature Image: OceanProd/Depositphotos

Katrien Nivera 🇵🇭
Katrien Nivera 🇵🇭
Third culture kid Katrien has been working as a writer and editor at DutchReview for over two years, originally moving to the Netherlands as a tween. Equipped with a Bachelor’s in communication and media and a Master’s in political communication, she’s here to stay for her passion for writing, whether it’s current Dutch affairs, the energy market, or universities. Just like the Dutch, Katrien lives by her agenda and enjoys the occasional frietje met mayo — she just wishes she could grow tall, too.

2 COMMENTS

  1. I am horrified with the idea of giving children chocolate every day for 25 days! Don’t these parents know better? Chocolate is full with sugar, even Tony’s Chocolonely chocolates. Aren’t there other kinds of advent calendars they could give to children? Ones without so much chocolate???

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