The first ever Pre-Advent calendar is signed by À la Mère de Famille x Dorothée de Monfreid
Because waiting for December 1st can test even the most impatient among us,
Paris's oldest chocolate shop has created a calendar whose countdown begins on November 24th.
The only calendar that starts before the others
Since 2013, À la Mère de Famille has given carte blanche to an illustrator each year to reinvent its now iconic Advent calendar.
For the 2025 edition, the Maison surprises again with an idea as bold as it is delicious: the Pre-Advent calendar, whose illustration this year has been entrusted to Dorothée de Monfreid. For the occasion, she transforms the Faubourg Montmartre boutique into a true stage populated by famous artists that one will have to recognize. A joyous way to extend the magic of the holidays from November, because after all, it's never too early to treat yourself!
A sneak peek of gourmet delights
À la Mère de Famille knows all too well that little moment of weakness that pushes us to start our Advent calendar a little too early. So for all those who have never been able to wait, the Maison has imagined an augmented version of its traditional calendar: 7 additional boxes, conceived as a mini-scene hidden under the main calendar, like the enchanted backstage of the mythical boutique. A little taste of the holidays, to start the Christmas countdown from November 24th.
Curtain up on a new experience
This year, the Maison's famous chocolates are still there, but they are now accompanied by new small treats to enjoy (like the mini mischievous marshmallows!) or to collect, such as the green and gold token slipped into each calendar. This precious key opens access to a gift machine: weights in papillotes, monthly chocolate delivery, and many other surprises as delightful as they are unexpected.
With Dorothée de Monfreid, the calendar is a music festival
To bring its calendar to life, À la Mère de Famille has passed the torch to Dorothée de Monfreid, an author and illustrator with a universe as mischievous as it is poetic, to reinvent the mythical boutique in Faubourg Montmartre.
Her deceptively naive lines, her taste for tender and clumsy characters, and her sense of storytelling create a style that is both whimsical and precise. It is with humor and delicacy that Dorothée imbues this Advent calendar with a tender and mischievous touch. Through this look-alike contest, she playfully inserts winks to her love of music and artists from all horizons. One can spot, among others, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Josephine Baker, and John Lennon, scattered like in a trompe-l'oeil setting. A real treasure hunt thus unfolds through the boxes, adding a mischievous and complicit touch to the Christmas spirit.
« A few years ago, I was taking ukulele lessons (...) near À la Mère de Famille's historic shop. Every week, I walked past this magnificent storefront… but I was always late, so I never stopped. As a result: I developed a real obsession with this shop, in my head it remained linked to music. »
Here is the list of characters represented in the look-alike contest:
- Maurice Ravel (dance class under the eaves, with cat and Christmas tree)
- Colette (small side roof window, cat and suspended red star)
- Tiny Tim (box 3)
- Maria Callas (box 4)
- John Lennon (box 5)
- Prince (box 6)
- Josephine Baker (box 7)
- Fred Astaire (box 13)
- Elvis Presley (box 16)
- Marilyn Monroe (box 20)
- Thelonious Monk (box 22)
- David Bowie (D-4 box)
