Ever since supermarkets started filling their shelves with Christmas foodstuffs in September, view-on-demand has allowed us to watch "It's a Wonderful Life" when we choose rather than when the schedulers dictate and global warming robbed Europe of all its snow, it has become increasingly difficult to judge just when Christmas is due.
Is it next week? Or do I have time before I start panicking about buying presents? Is that man dressed as Santa celebrating Halloween? Or is not a man dressed as Santa, but Santa? Was I good? Naughty? Nice?
Fortunately there are still some reliable reminders that Christmas is soon upon us: The first meeting with an unpleasantly intoxicated Christmas market visitor; the first "family newsletter" from someone you can't quite place; the first appearance of a Twiglet amongst your evening nuts and crisps; the first picture on a design blog of man looking expectantly into a shipping container; and of course the most reliable of all guides, the smow Advent Calender.
Instigated in 2012 as much as an excuse to spend a couple of weeks photographing the Kartell Gnome Napoleon in a series of improbable positions as it was a celebration of the festive season, since 2014 the smow Advent Calender has been interactive and has offered a series of alluring design prizes.
The 2015 smow Advent Calender features 24 prizes with a combined value of over € 10,000: 23 daily prizes from manufacturers such as Vitra, Muuto, Müller Möbelfabrikation or Nils Holger Moormann and on Christmas Eve the draw for the grand prize - a limited edition Vitra F.A.Z Special Edition Eames EA 124 Aluminium Chair & EA 125 Ottoman.
To be in with a chance of winning one of the daily prizes simply correctly answer the daily question, the winner will be chosen at random from all correct entries.
The winner of the F.A.Z. EA 124 & EA 125 will be drawn from all participants from the 23 daily quizzes. Participation in one daily draw is one ticket for the main draw. Participation in all 23 daily draws is 23 tickets for the main draw. We're sure you can do the maths.
The daily prizes and the associated questions will be published every day at smow.com, but to make sure you don't miss a draw simply "like" www.facebook.com/smowcom where daily updates, and occasional friendly clues, will be published.
As with all such competitions please, please refer to the Terms and Conditions for all relevant information.
And good luck!
And now, as is traditional on December's Eve, ....... a picture of a man looking expectantly into a shipping container.
