37 Fantastically Festive Advent Calendars to Fuel Your Holiday Cheer

Advent calendars are as synonymous with the holidays as a cookie exchange — and they’re a super fun way to keep the magic going all December long.

Whatever your festive style — whether you’re a wine-o, a chocolate lover, or a crafty parent — we’ve got a calendar to put a little jingle in your step.

Check out these 37 (yep, *37*) advent calendars that’ll feed your festive fire.

How we chose

We went all the way to the North Pole to find the most awesome advent calendars 😉. From traditional to over-the-top, there’s something for everyone! More merry news: We also made sure to include lots of options for all budgets.

Pricing guide

Advent calendars can be affordable, super expensive, and everything in between. Here’s a guide to help you pick the perfect one:

• $ = under $20
• $$ = $20–$40
• $$$ = $41–$75
• $$$$ = $76–$150
• $$$$$ = over $150

Shopping PSA

When you spot the advent calendar you want, snap it up ASAP. Most advent calendars are made in limited quantities, and they can sell out fast.

Plus, you want to make abso-posi-lutely sure your calendar arrives by December 1.

The 37 best advent calendars of 2020

1. Advent calendar that’s just like the one you got as a kid: Vermont Christmas Company Snowman Celebration Chocolate Advent Calendar

Price: $

Looking to relive the nostalgic Decembers of your youth, when every day after dinner (or before breakfast — no judgment), you’d punch open a cardboard window and gobble up a piece of chocolate? Here’s a cheap, tasty trip down memory lane.

Buy the Vermont Christmas Company Snowman Celebration Chocolate Advent Calendar online.

2. Musical advent calendar: Uncommon Goods Holiday Favorites Advent Calendar Playlist

Price: $$

Here’s an advent calendar that’ll spruce up your holiday playlist with some fresh tuneage. Scratch off each day to reveal a QR code that’ll take you to a new cover of a holiday classic like “Silent Night” or “Feliz Navidad.” 

Buy the Uncommon Goods Holiday Favorites Advent Calendar Playlist online.

3. Advent calendar to support your winter self-care regimen: Lush 12 Days of Christmas

Price: $$$$

This festive reusable box is packed with seasonal self-care treats like Roasting Chestnuts on an Open Fire Shower Gel, a Winter Garden bath bomb, Golden Pear soap, and a Candy Cane bubble bar.

Treat yourself to 12 days of festive relaxation… or try them all at once for the most epic bath experience of all time.

Buy Lush 12 Days of Christmas online.

4. Holiday movie-themed advent calendar: Jakks Holiday Elf Advent Calendar

Price: $$

The best way to spread Christmas cheer is counting down the holiday with Buddy, Jovie, and all their North Pole pals! Each of the 24 windows is filled with a tiny figurine from the movie. Use the pop-up diorama pieces to create an “Elf”-inspired scene (while you watch the movie, obv).

Buy the Jakks Holiday Elf Advent Calendar online.

5. Super fancy chocolate advent calendar: Charbonel et Walker Chocolate and Truffles Advent Calendar

Price: $$$$

This fancy calendar from swanky British chocolatier Charbonel et Walker is filled with confections, each packed in its own gold box. With a classy look that’s straight out of a Wes Anderson movie, this is pretty much the definition of treat yo’self. 

Buy the Charbonel et Walker Chocolate and Truffles Advent Calendar online.

6. Advent calendar for art lovers: yellowpapers Advent Calendar Painting Gallery

Price: $

Behind every day’s door hides a famous work of art. Guessing them all will remind you what a great job you did in art history! Or it’ll serve as an art crash course if you skipped this class in high school. Either way, it’s fun.

FYI: It ships all the way from Germany, so you’ll want to order ASAP.

Buy the yellowpapers Advent Calendar Painting Gallery online.

7. Most magical advent calendar: Meri Meri Unicorn Stamp Advent Calendar Set

It’s supposedly for kids, but whatever. What adult wouldn’t be excited about having a new unicorn-themed stamp to open every day for 25 days straight plus three colorful inkpads, all in a pretty silver box?

Price: $$

Buy the Meri Meri Unicorn Stamp Advent Calendar Set online.

8. Advent calendar for puzzle people: New York Puzzle Company City Advent Calendar

Price: $

OK, it’s technically a jigsaw puzzle designed to look like an advent calendar. So instead of opening a little window, you can divvy up the pieces over the month and tackle a handful every day — maybe with a mug of hot cocoa while you’re cozied up in front of the Yule log.

Buy the New York City Puzzle Company City Advent Calendar online.

9. Advent calendar to help keep your spirits up during the weirdest Christmas season ever: Mantel Positivity Advent Calendar

Price: $ 

If Christmas cheer feels a little tougher to muster this year, this calendar can help you get into the holiday spirit. It has 24 thought prompts focused on themes like gratitude, motivation, knowledge, wellness, and kindness.

It ships from England, so order sooner rather than later.

Buy the Mantel Positivity Advent Calendar online.

10. Hygge-inspired advent calendar: Modo Creative A Mindful Advent Candle Set

Price: $$

This box comes with 25 handmade beeswax candles, one for lighting each day before Christmas. Each candle lasts for 20 minutes. That’s just enough time to bask in the glow and soak in the season.

This one also ships from England, so again, order early.

Buy the Modo Creative A Mindful Advent Candle Set online.

11. Advent calendar that can double as your Christmas tree: Rifle Paper Co. Advent Calendar

Price: $

Even though it’s not an actual tree, it’s total “O Tannenbaum” vibes. And unlike with a real tree, you don’t have to worry about water levels or needle shedding or your cat/dog/toddler knocking the whole thing over.

Buy the Rifle Paper Co. Advent Calendar online.

12. Heirloom-level advent calendar: Orvis Animated Advent Village

Price: $$$$

Maybe you’re looking for an advent calendar you can pull out year after year. That way you can fill it with your own special treats for generations to come. If so, this animated light-up advent village fits the bill.

Buy the Orvis Animated Advent Village online.

13. Beer lover’s advent calendar: City Brew Tours 12 Beers of Christmas Craft Beer Box

Price: $$$$

Self-explanatory but still awesome. This curated collection of 12 craft beers comes from breweries all across the country. From Belgian stouts to American IPAs, it has something for everyone.

Bonus: You can tune in to City Brew Tours’ livestream during the actual 12 days to hear beer experts talk about each beer. 🍻

Buy the City Brew Tours 12 Beers of Christmas Craft Beer Box online.

14. Boozy advent calendar: Flaviar Whiskies of the World Advent Calendar

Price: $$$$$

Christmas time is definitely brown spirit season. This box serves up 24 shot-size samples of premium whiskies from all around the globe. It even comes with a glass!

Buy the Flaviar Whiskies of the World Advent Calendar online.

15. Advent calendar to keep your brain busy: Coogam Metal Wire Puzzle Toys Advent Calendar

Price: $ 

If you need a distraction from your fam (or from the fact that you can’t be with them this year), these daily brain teasers can help get your mind off things for a few minutes. (Or maybe longer — some of them are hard!)

Buy the Coogam Metal Wire Puzzles Toy Advent Calendar online.

16. Advent calendar for toddlers and preschoolers: B bangcool DIY Felt Christmas Tree

Price: $

It’s not technically an advent calendar, but we guarantee the 2-year-old in your life won’t care. Hang the felt tree on the wall and let them decorate! They can add a new felt ornament each day until Christmas.

You can also give them the entire set at once while you work on the actual tree. It’s just as much fun!

Buy the B bangcool DIY Felt Christmas Tree online.

17. Fill-your-own advent calendar: Target Prize Punch Advent Calendar

Price: $

Personalized gifts are always the best. Featuring 12 pockets, this festive box is the perfect vessel. Fill each box with your Secret Santa’s favorite candies and treats.

Buy the Target Prize Punch Advent Calendar online.

18. Ultrasplurge advent calendar: Jo Malone Advent Calendar

Price: $$$$$

This luxe set serves up 25 tiny-but-totally-indulgent surprises from the high-end perfumer Jo Malone. It includes colognes, soaps, mini candles, and more. And as you’d expect, each one smells incredible.

FYI: This one sells out super fast. So buy it ASAP!

Buy the Jo Malone Advent Calendar online.

19. Advent calendar that might actually inspire you to send IRL Christmas cards: BIC Advent Calendar

Price: $$$

Over the month of December, you’ll get a collection of colorful felt-tipped pens, rich colored pencils, ball pens, and crayons. This calendar also includes glue and stickers, in case the mood to make a “Christmas 2020” scrapbook strikes.

Buy the BIC Advent Calendar online.

20. Advent calendar for accessorizing year-round: Meri Meri Enamel Pin Advent Calendar

Price: $$$

Unlike chocolate, you can enjoy the 12 enamel pins in this cheery advent calendar over and over. A few of the pins are winter-themed, but most (oh hey, lobster and cactus pins) are stylish all year long.

Buy the Meri Meri Enamel Pin Advent Calendar online.

21. Advent calendar that’s fun to do with a kid: Crayola Christmas Countdown Calendar

Price: $$

Each of the 24 numbered doors has a fun holiday craft suitable for kids ages 3 and up. Best of all, there’ll be plenty of leftover crayons, markers, paint, and modeling clay to use after Christmas too.

Buy the Crayola Christmas Countdown Calendar online.

22. Awesome advent calendar for bakers: Cookie Advent Cookbook

Price: $

If you’d rather DIY your holiday treats, here’s one for you. Each of the 24 flaps on the front of the book directs you to a fresh holiday recipe. Flip inside the book to find the full deets for making each baked good.

Buy the Cookie Advent Cookbook online.

23. Advent calendar for your cat: Purina Fancy Feast Limited Edition Feastivities Advent Calendar

Price: $$

Do you ever worry that your cat doesn’t have much to look forward to aside from watching birds from the window? This variety pack of 24 mouthwatering meals will def ease your guilt… at least until December 26.

Buy the Purina Fancy Feast Limited Edition Feastivities Advent Calendar online.

24. Throwback advent calendar: Nickelodeon 15 Days of Socks Calendar

Price: $

Flipping on Nickelodeon to watch back-to-back episodes of “SpongeBob SquarePants,” “The Ren & Stimpy Show,” “Hey Arnold!,” and “CatDog” might not be an option these days. But you can relive all your fave shows with a fresh pair of Nick-themed socks every day for 15 days leading up to Christmas, which is almost as good. 

Buy the Nickelodeon 15 Days of Socks Calendar online.

25. Advent calendar with an energy boost, but make it chill: DAVIDsTEA 24 Days of Matcha

Price: $$$

There are plenty of tea advent calendars out there, but you won’t find too many devoted to just matcha. This one’s loaded with tasty, surprising powdered green tea blends, like cherry blossom matcha, mango matcha, and yuzu matcha. You also get vegan matcha gummies and matcha honey.

Buy DAVIDsTEA 24 Days of Matcha online.

26. Advent calendar for folks who take facial hair seriously: The BeardedManCompany Christmas Beard Oil Advent Calendar

Price: $$$

Even if it’s under a mask, the beard still deserves some love. This calendar offers up 24 scented oils to keep it looking and smelling awesome all month long.

Buy TheBeardedManCompany Christmas Beard Oil Advent Calendar online.

27. Advent calendar for people who like to build things: Haynes Retro Radio Advent Calendar

Price: $$

This kit gives you 24 pieces you can put together, day by day, to build a working FM radio. Wowza! Have some AA batteries on hand for when you’re ready to hit the ON button on Christmas morning.

Buy the Haynes Retro Radio Advent Calendar online.

28. White chocolate advent calendar: Hotel Chocolat The Advent Calendar White

Price: $

This calendar is all about that white chocolate. Throughout December you get to taste 24 creamy, not-too-sweet white treats shaped like penguins, spruce trees, angels, and more. 

Buy the Hotel Chocolat The Advent Calendar White online.

29. Advent calendar packed with hair accessories: Papersource 12 Days of Scrunchies Advent Calendar

Price: $$

C’mon, you know you want a box filled with 12 new surprise scrunchies — especially colorful ones that are fluffy, velvety, and even mesh.

Buy the Papersource 12 Days of Scrunchies Advent Calendar online.

30. Hanukkah calendar: Sugarfina 8 Nights of Light Advent Calendar

Price: $$

Bust out this baby each night of Hanukkah for a surprise sweet treat like snow jellies, robin’s egg caramels, sugar cookies, blueberry jelly beans, and more. 

Buy the Sugarfina 8 Nights of Light Advent Calendar online.

31. Advent calendar that gives back: Penny Pincher Reverse Advent Calendar

Price: Cost varies, but kindness is worth the price!

Reverse advent calendars are all about giving back and spreading the holiday spirit. This one has a list of 24 nonperishable food items to add to a box over the course of December. Come Christmas Eve, you can donate your filled box to a local food bank or shelter.

See the Penny Pincher Reverse Advent Calendar online.

32. Advent calendar for the person who’s watched every “Friends” episode 30 times: Friends: The Official Advent Calendar

Price: $$

The one where you get 40 awesome “Friends”-themed keepsakes stuffed into 25 surprise pockets. That’s enough tchotchkes to make your apartment look as quirky as Monica and Rachel’s. 

Buy Friends: The Official Advent Calendar online.

33. Nail polish advent calendar: OPI Nail Lacquer Mini 25 Pack Advent Calendar

Price: $$$

Commit to 25 days of color with this nail polish advent calendar — or divvy up the polishes as mini stocking stuffers for your favorite elf friends. Your secret is safe with us.

Buy the OPI Nail Lacquer Mini 25 Pack Advent Calendar online.

34. Advent calendar that’s nicer than your current Christmas decor: World Market Wood Nordic Winter LED Light Up Countdown Calendar

Price: $$

Even looking at this elegant calendar will make you feel all warm and fuzzy. Its 24 tiny wood drawers are perfect for filling with trinkets and treats.

Buy the World Market Wood Nordic Winter LED Light Up Countdown Calendar online.

35. Advent calendar that’s so kawaii: Hello Kitty Chocolate Advent Calendar

Price: $

TBH, it’s overpriced and the chocolate probably isn’t the best ever. But the illustrations of HK, Keroppi, My Melody, and Badtz-Maru are too cute to pass up.

Buy the Hello Kitty Chocolate Advent Calendar online.

36. Advent calendar for lash lovers: Ardell 12 Days of Wispies Advent Calendar

Price: $$

The 12 sets of falsies are a fun way to keep it glam all season long. Even if you’re only getting decked out for a Zoom party.

Buy the Ardell 12 Days of Wispies Advent Calendar online.

37. Advent calendar for your sweet pup: Snif-Snax Happy Holiday Advent Calendar Salmon & Sweet Potato Dog Treats

Price: $

Your pupper definitely won’t mind that all 25 of the treats in this canine-friendly calendar are exactly the same. In fact, by day 3, your furbaby will know what’s good. They’ll come running over as soon as they see the box.

Buy Snif-Snax Happy Holiday Advent Calendar Salmon & Sweet Potato Dog Treats online.

tl;dr

Advent calendars are like holiday music: maybe a little cheesy but also super satisfying. With these 37 picks, there’s something for everyone on Santa’s “nice” list! Ho-ho-ho.

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Highlight 2020: All the Ballot Wins, by State

Refresh… refresh… refresh… *checks internet connection* Refresh… refresh… refresh…

Oh, hi there. That was just a rundown of my life from election night until the Associated Press called the presidential election. OK, in reality, I had to work. But I’m sure I’m not alone when I say it was hard to concentrate during those days of uncertainty.

We’ve all been so focused on who will sit in the Oval Office in 2021. But we also have other 2020 general election victories to celebrate. Yeah, we do! I’m talking about the wins in your states and counties that champion inclusivity and reduce stigma — the wins that help communities come together and grow.

I channeled my nervous energy into making this list of victories from every state plus D.C. There’s a lot of big wins here for cannabis legalization, diverse representation, and anti-racist policies. And by no means is this an exhaustive list, of course. It’s just what I could find before deadline. After all, hope in our future sometimes needs to start small — like, local and district small.

Cactus Creative Studio/Stocksy

Alabama

• Alabama voted to approve the removal of all racist language from its constitution. Not sure why this wasn’t done, like, way, way back, Alabama.

Alaska

• Not much on the ballot front happened here.

Arizona

• Time to stock up on those fancy grow lights. The Grand Canyon State legalized recreational cannabis for those 21 and up. And you can grow your own stash — up to 6 plants, or 12 if you live with another adult. 

Arkansas

• Hmmm… Refresh… refresh… refresh…

California

• The Golden State voted to restore voting rights to people with felony convictions who are on parole. The move gives more than 50,000 people the right to vote. 
• Christy Holstege won reelection to the Palm Springs City Council, also becoming the nation’s first openly bisexual mayor. Palm Springs rotates the position of mayor among council members. 
• Elected to the California Assembly, 25-year-old Alex Lee became the state’s youngest lawmaker. He is also the first California legislator to be openly bisexual.
• Rep. Mark Takano won reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2012, Takano became the first openly gay person of color to be elected to Congress.

Colorado

• Despite being targeted with anti-LGBTQ+ ads this year, state Rep. Brianna Titone won reelection. Titone became the state’s first openly transgender lawmaker in 2018.
• David Ortiz, a military veteran, became the first person who uses a wheelchair to be elected to the Colorado House of Representatives. Ortiz is also Colorado’s first openly bisexual candidate to be elected to that office.
• By winning election to the Colorado House, Iman Jodeh also made history as the state’s first Muslim legislator.
• The Centennial State voted yes to Paid Family and Medical Leave for all Colorado employees. The state also voted to reintroduce gray wolves. #HowlCool

Connecticut

• Borrow a cup of sugar from New York, will ya?

Delaware

• Delaware has elected the first openly transgender senator in the nation to its state Senate.
• Madinah Wilson-Anton became the first practicing Muslim elected to the Delaware General Assembly and the first Muslim woman in the state’s history to hold office. 

Florida

• Florida voters approved a minimum-wage bump, voting to increase the amount from $8.56 to $15 per hour by 2026.
• Christopher Benjamin became the first Muslim American elected to a statewide office in Florida after a successful campaign for the state House of Representatives.
• The Sunshine State also elected Shevrin Jones to the state Senate, making him Florida’s first openly LGBTQ+ state senator.
• And Michele Rayner-Goolsby just became the first queer Black woman elected to Florida’s House. 

Georgia

• All eyes are totally on you, Georgia! While we wait for you to count ballots, let’s give a round of applause for Rep. Sam Park, who was reelected to the Georgia House of Representatives. In 2016, Park made history as the first gay man elected to the Georgia General Assembly. Now get back to counting ballots, and let’s hope the results are peachy.

Hawaii

• Adrian Tam, newly elected to Hawaii’s House of Representatives, just beat out a Proud Boy chapter leader. (Bye, Nick Ochs!) Tam is currently the only out LGBTQ+ member of Hawaii’s House. Go, Tam! 

Idaho

• Idaho? I dunno. (See Montana.)

Illinois

• Jill Rose Quinn, elected as a Cook County Judge, is the first openly transgender elected official in the state and the fourth transgender judge in the United States. 

Indiana

• Check another state that begins with “I.”

Iowa

• Corn!

Kansas

• Kansas elected Stephanie Byers, a retired Wichita public high school teacher, to its state legislature. Byers, a member of the Chickasaw Nation, is the state’s first transgender legislator. 
• Rep. Sharice Davids was reelected to the U.S. House of Representatives for her second term. In 2018 Davids, a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation, became one of the first two Indigenous women elected to Congress. That year the former MMA fighter also became the first lesbian-identifying Native American member of Congress and the first openly LGBTQ+ member from Kansas. Whew! That’s a lot of firsts. 

Kentucky

• Bourbon! Just pour yourself a glass, already.

Louisiana

• Two public defenders won Orleans Criminal District Court judgeships, unseating incumbents — something that hasn’t happened in 40 years. The wins for Angel Harris and Nandi Campbell are wins for the “Flip the Bench” campaign to create justice reform in a state that’s known as the “incarceration capital.” Nice work! 

Maine

• Voters in Portland, Maine, opted to boost the minimum wage from $12 to $15 per hour. In the same city, voters approved several tenant protections, including placing limits on rental increases and creating a rental board to mediate landlord-tenant disputes.

Maryland

• Maryland legalized sports betting, which will raise money for public education. Now you can say your vice is for the kids.

Massachusetts

• Massachusetts was focused on cars for some reason with its “right to repair” ballot measure. The change gives car owners and independent auto shops more access to vehicles’ computerized data for repair purposes. That way you have more freedom in where you take your car to get fixed. You bored yet? Yeah, me too. Read on.
• Rep. Ayanna Pressley was reelected this year. Pressley made history as the first Black woman to represent Massachusetts in Congress after her election in 2018.

Michigan

• Michigan, we’re just going to pause here a moment to give your beautiful mitten hand a high-five. Thank you to the poll workers for not stopping the count. Thank you for soldiering on despite the a-holes pounding on the windows. We love you.

Minnesota

• Rep. Angie Craig again won her seat for the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2018, Craig became the first lesbian mom elected to Congress.
• Rep. Ilhan Omar also won reelection. In 2018, Omar became one of the first Muslim women and the first Somali American elected to Congress. 

Mississippi

• The Magnolia State finally decided to replace its racist, Confederate-themed flag with something that won’t make you vomit: a magnolia-themed flag. Oh, and the state voted to legalize medical cannabis. 

Missouri

• Cori Bush just became the first Black woman to represent Missouri in Congress. 

Montana

• Big Sky Country is about to get a little hazy! Montanans voted to legalize recreational cannabis use for those 21 and older.

Nebraska

• From its constitution, Nebraska voted to remove slavery as a punishment for a crime. Yeah, apparently that was still in there. 

Nevada

• Hey, Nevada! We don’t want to distract you while you’re counting ballots, but we do want to praise you for being a unicorn among the states. Nevada just became the first state to protect gay marriage in its constitution, y’all! XOXO!

New Hampshire

• With their first wins in 2018, Rep. Gerri Cannon and Rep. Lisa Bunker became New Hampshire’s first openly transgender legislators. We’re happy to report their reelection.
• Joshua Query came out as gender-nonconforming during their first term as a New Hampshire state legislator. With reelection, Query is now the first openly gender-nonconforming person elected to a state legislature. 

New Jersey

• The Garden State voted in favor of legalizing recreational cannabis.

New Mexico

• For the first time, New Mexico elected all women of color to the U.S. House of Representatives. Congratulations to Rep. Deb Haaland, Yvette Herrell, and Teresa Leger Fernandez! 

New York

• Mondaire Jones and Ritchie Torres both won seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. By doing so, they have become the first Black LGBTQ+ members of Congress. Torres is also the first Afro-Latinx LGBTQ+ member of Congress.
• Jabari Brisport, elected to the state Senate, became New York’s first LGBTQ+ legislator of color.

North Carolina

• Allison Dahle just won reelection. She became one of the first out LGBTQ+ members of the North Carolina legislature when first elected in 2018. 

North Dakota

• Uff da. (See South Dakota, Minnesota, or Montana.) 

Ohio

• You’re round on both sides but hi in the middle. Yeah, I know the riddle.

Oklahoma

• OK, Oklahoma! See what I did there? Mauree Turner has officially become the first Muslim elected to the Oklahoma legislature and the first nonbinary legislator in the nation. Woot!

Oregon

• The Beaver State became the first state to decriminalize personal-use amounts of substances such as heroin. Instead of facing incarceration, those found with drugs in their possession will have the option of paying a small fine or attending a recovery program.
• Oregonians also voted to legalize psilocybin, aka psychedelic mushrooms, for therapeutic use for conditions like depression and anxiety. 
• Desi Nicodemus just became the first Black man elected to the Milwaukie, Oregon, City Council.
• The residents of Multnomah County voted for free preschool for all (well, for the little ones ages 3 to 4, anyway).

Pennsylvania

• Keep counting, Keystone State!

Rhode Island

• Tiara Mack’s election makes her the first Black LGBTQ+ member of Rhode Island’s state legislature.
• Rhode Island also voted to remove the shady phrase “And Providence Plantations” from the state’s official name. 

South Carolina

• See the other Carolina.

South Dakota

• South Dakotans voted all-in on the herb. They voted in favor of legalizing recreational and medical cannabis in a package deal. 

Tennessee

• Torrey Harris and Eddie Mannis became the first out LGBTQ+ lawmakers elected to the Tennessee General Assembly. 

Texas

• Ann Johnson, who is part of the LGBTQ+ community as a lesbian and an ally, secured a seat on the Texas House of Representatives. 

Utah

• Utah is another state that had slavery as a punishment for a crime in its constitution. The state has now voted to make some serious revisions.

Vermont

• The Green Mountain State elected 26-year-old Taylor Small, the first openly transgender member of the state’s legislature. 

Virginia

• Virginia voted for a constitutional amendment that puts the responsibility of drawing redistricting maps in the hands of an independent commission rather than the state legislature. 
• The state also voted to exempt veterans with disabilities from paying property taxes on one vehicle. 

Washington

• The Evergreen State’s vote to elect Marilyn Strickland to the U.S. House of Representatives makes her the first Korean American woman elected to Congress and the first Black representative from Washington.

Washington, D.C. 

• Washington, D.C., just voted in favor of decriminalizing psychedelic plants. That means enforcing laws that criminalize the possession of psychedelics will become the “lowest enforcement priority.” Yes, surely the cops have other things to do besides bother with your ’shrooms.

West Virginia

• See the other Virginia.

Wisconsin

• Samba Baldeh’s win makes him the first Muslim elected to the Wisconsin state legislature.

Wyoming

• If you live in the Cowboy State, saddle up and see Colorado, Montana, or South Dakota.

Jennifer Chesak is a Nashville-based freelance book editor and writing instructor. She earned her Master of Science in journalism from Northwestern’s Medill and is working on her first fiction novel, set in her native state of North Dakota.

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Unpacking It: The Long-Term Symptoms of COVID-19

Aside from the rising death toll, one of the scarier things about this B-word of a pandemic is that the disease caused by a SARS-CoV-2 infection can have lasting effects on the body. And that can be true even for people who initially had mild symptoms or none at all.

Folks who experience this are called “long haulers.” For them, the aftermath of a COVID-19 infection becomes like a chronic illness.

“We need to stop thinking of COVID-19 as something like the flu,” says Natalie Lambert, PhD, associate research professor of medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine. “We have to start talking about this as a very serious virus that can cause extensive damage to the body, no matter what age you are or what your underlying health is.”

That all sounds next-level terrifying. But research is in the works and resources are cropping up to aid current long haulers out there. What are long-term COVID-19 symptoms? And where should you turn for help if you’re a long hauler? Let’s unpack it.

Most common long-hauler symptoms

If you develop COVID-19, keep in mind that you may need about 2 weeks to begin feeling like yourself again. So how do you know if you’re a long hauler?

“People who are still sick beyond the 2-week period that you would expect for a flu,” Lambert says, “that’s often the beginning of someone’s more long-haul-type situation.”

Any symptom you might have as a result of a SARS-CoV-2 infection might hang around for a while, kind of like that creep at the bar who can’t take a hint. If you need a refresher, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists 11 common symptoms of COVID-19. But you may also develop completely different symptoms as a result of lasting inflammation. Based on crowdsourced data, we compiled the top 15 symptoms long haulers report.

Top 15 reported long-hauler symptoms

• anxiety
• body aches or muscle or joint pain
• brain fog, difficulty concentrating, or memory challenges
• chest tightness, pressure, or pain
• chills or sweats
• cough
• dizziness
• diarrhea
• elevated temperature
• fatigue
• headache
• heart palpitations/tachycardia
• inability to exercise
• insomnia
• shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

“The way that people experience COVID-19 can be very different person by person,” Lambert says. “Some people, in the first 2 weeks that they’re sick, they think it feels like a typical cold. And then 2 or 3 weeks later, they might start having heart problems. Other people will get blurry vision, and they’ll start losing their hair.”

As if they weren’t busy enough dealing with their new spate of health issues, long haulers out there have gotten together to help everyone else. We based our top 15 list on their hard work above. But there are so many more possible symptoms. For full lists, check out the resources below, especially if you feel anything wonky going on.

• Lambert created a report by analyzing social media survey data from Survivor Corps, a grassroots movement that connects COVID-19 survivors. The survey includes responses from more than 1,500 people with long-term COVID-19. And Lambert’s report compiles 98 potential symptoms based on their answers.

• Members from an online COVID-19 support group also conducted a survey of 640 people about their ongoing coronavirus ailments. The citizen researchers compiled their Patient-Led Research for COVID-19 data to form a list of 62 potential long-hauler symptoms.

3 themes of long-haul COVID-19

Although COVID-19 long-hauler symptoms can include any odd thing from scalp pain to an aching jaw, researchers are seeing some key themes.

1. Fatigue and brain fog

A lack of focus coupled with extreme exhaustion can make you feel like the COVID beast has chewed you up and spit you out. One of the most common post-COVID complications is what’s called brain fog.

Some COVID long haulers report trouble concentrating and having difficulty with memory. And in a study out of Italy, more than half (53.1 percent) of 179 patients reported lasting fatigue, even after their acute coronavirus symptoms, like a fever, subsided.

“The fatigue persists for months,” Lambert says. “Many people report if they get up and take a shower they’re pretty much done for the day. They can’t get out of bed after that.”

Researchers, including the esteemed Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, have compared these neurological long-hauler symptoms to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME). Similar debilitating symptoms also cropped up in some patients following the SARS outbreak nearly 2 decades ago.

New research out of UCLA suggests the brain fog could also partially be related to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A serious health emergency could certainly bring that on. “But at the same time,” Lambert says, “we know from scans of the brain that some people do get micro clots in their brain from COVID. And we know that the virus is specifically attacking the nervous system.”

2. Respiratory issues

The COVID beast can really knock the wind out of you too. Recent studies show that COVID-19 can cause long-term heart and lung damage, especially in severe cases. But the damage can improve over time.

A persistent cough as well as shortness of breath are two common concerns among long haulers. But they also report an inability to be active or exercise. That was one of the top five symptoms reported on the Survivor Corps survey. In the Patient-Led Research for COVID-19 survey, 68 percent of people reported being physically active before the onset of their symptoms. And 70 percent now report being mostly sedentary in their COVID aftermath.

And while certainly a bout of any nasty illness can make climbing the stairs to your apartment a little harder until you regain your strength, Lambert says that’s not necessarily what’s happening with long haulers. “With people who are having long-term COVID-19 impact,” she explains, “it’s not just that it takes a lot more time, people are feeling very ill for a very long time.”

3. Aches and pains

You may also feel like the COVID beast has played schoolyard bully with your body. The Survivor Corps survey results show that more than a quarter (26.5 percent) of reported long-hauler symptoms are associated with pain.

“Many people report a tingling or burning in their extremities, that they have pain in their joints, or they have pain in their feet,” Lambert says. “Sometimes it’s actual nerve pain. And other times it’s a type of inflammation that’s causing the pain.” Organ damage can cause major discomfort as well. Lower back pain, for example, could indicate an impact to the kidneys, Lambert adds.

Talking to your doctor

Seek emergency medical attention if you experience an emergency warning sign, whether early on in your COVID-19 infection or as a long hauler. The CDC lists 5 emergency warning signs.

Emergency warning signs

Call 911 or call ahead to your nearest emergency room if you experience the following:

• trouble breathing
• persistent pain or pressure in the chest
• new confusion
• inability to wake or stay awake
• bluish lips or face

You should call your doctor at any time, however, if you’re having a severe symptom or concern. Dr. Ken Perry, FACEP, an emergency physician in Charleston, South Carolina, says to get your primary care doctor involved early if you have long-term symptoms that are getting in the way of your daily activities.

“There is always a concern that these symptoms are actually signs of damage to the heart or lungs or other organ system,” he says. “A primary care physician can determine if and when further specialists or testing is appropriate.”

Be aware that some long haulers report not being taken seriously about their concerns. Part of the issue is that some people may have had COVID-19 but don’t have a test result to prove it, especially if they contracted the virus in the earlier days of the pandemic when tests were in short supply.

“You might have to educate your doctor a little bit,” Lambert suggests. “You might be the first person that they’ve seen with these long-term symptoms.” She recommends downloading or printing info from the Survivor Corps website and taking it with you to your appointment.

“We are all going through this together and learning as we go,” Perry says. “As patients continue to seek assistance with new or changing symptoms, their doctors may not have much to add, which can leave both feeling helpless.”

Long-hauler clinics

If you’re experiencing long-haul COVID-19, it’s important to know that there are resources. “There are thousands of researchers and health experts around the world coming together to try to get solutions to these problems,” Lambert says.

Hospitals have designed clinics specifically for long haulers, and more are cropping up as the pandemic progresses.

Dr. Sarah Jolley, a pulmonary and critical care medicine specialist with UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital, was in the process of establishing an outpatient clinic for ICU survivors before the pandemic began. When COVID-19 hit, the clinic became a Post COVID ICU resource. But Jolley says an increasing number of COVID-19 survivors who weren’t in the ICU or who weren’t even hospitalized also needed help.

“We have started to put together a team of docs,” Jolley says, “from cardiology, neurology, physical medicine, and rehabilitation, and then myself from pulmonary, and likely some involvement from primary care, to streamline or more standardize what care these patients are getting.”

Jolley says the clinic is modeled after the Mount Sinai Center for Post COVID Care in New York City. “Our general approach,” she explains, “is to do an intake based on what symptoms they have, then put them in touch with the sub-specialists that are primarily seeing new post-COVID patients to then decide what additional testing needs to be done.”

Patients might see a neuro infectious disease doctor to treat any neurological effects of the virus, a cardiologist to treat any long-term heart issues, as well as physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists.

“I think what we’re hearing from a lot of people,” Jolley says, “even young, previously healthy people, is that they aren’t able to get back to their level of fitness that they were at before. And so we’re trying to figure out how we can try to optimize that recovery.” 

You may want to reach out to one of the many emerging post-COVID care clinics, rehabilitation facilities, and programs for telehealth services (if offered) or in-person appointments if you live nearby.

Here are a few to consider:

• Mount Sinai Center for Post-COVID Care – New York City Area
• University of Colorado Post COVID ICU Clinic – Aurora, Colorado
• GW Medical Faculty Associates COVD-19 Recovery Clinic – Washington, D.C.
• UCDavis Health Post-COVID Clinic – Sacramento, California
• Mayo Clinic COVID Activity Rehabilitation Program (CARP) – Rochester, Minnesota
• UIHC Respiratory Illness Follow-Up Clinic – Iowa City, Iowa
• Penn Medicine’s Post-COVID Assessment and Recovery Clinic – 3 locations in Pennsylvania

Self-care and finding support

Unfortunately there’s no tried-and-true guidebook out there yet on self-care and recovery as a long hauler. “As research comes out,” Perry says, “we are trying to disseminate the information as quickly as possible.”

As a long hauler, you may have a new normal, at least for a while. “The reality is that we are very early in this process,” Perry says, “and what seems like permanent in the moment may resolve. If you are suffering a symptom now it may clear up in the future. It is very likely that this is going to be a mix of good days and bad days.”

And you’ll have to define what that new normal means for you — because it will be different from person to person. Don’t place pressure on yourself — or let others place pressure on you — to get back to pre-COVID-life.

“Each patient’s recovery seems to be pretty variable,” Jolley says. “And I don’t think we have enough understanding of why that’s the case or why some people get better quicker. I think we need more research to understand that.”

Remember, you’re not alone, and you can connect with others who have survived the coronavirus and learn where they’re at in their recovery process. You might also find it empowering to contribute to ongoing long-hauler research, studies, and surveys.

Long-hauler support

• Survivor Corps. This not-for-profit grassroots movement has 110K+ members in its Facebook group.
• Body Politic COVID-19 Support Group. This Slack group has 14K+ members, and more than 50 channels, including dedicated discussions for those who are 90 days or more into their coronavirus saga.
• Follow the hashtags #LongHaulers and #LongCovid on social channels

Research and surveys

• enroll in research and clinical trials
• take the next Patient-Led Research survey

The outlook for COVID-19 long haulers

Until more research is done, we don’t know yet how long it will take long haulers to recover from lingering COVID-19 symptoms or health issues that rear up post infection. But for now, we can look at current stats and what they tell us.

A CDC survey study found that 35 percent of people who were not hospitalized for COVID-19 had not returned to their normal state of health 2 to 3 weeks out from their positive test results.

In the Patient-Led Research for COVID-19 conducted in May, 90 percent of the 640 respondents had not yet fully recovered from their symptoms. Of the 60 people who had recovered, the average timeframe for recovery was 27 days. The people who had not recovered said they’d been experiencing symptoms for an average of 40 days at the time of the survey.

Lambert, who studies the Survivor Corps data, says, “For the average long hauler, it’s many months that they’ve been sick.”

But don’t lose hope. Recovery can take a lot of time, but Lambert says she’s seeing people improve after months of illness. “There’s this great theme of people hiking up a mountain and posting a picture,” she adds. “It’s a rite of passage.”

What not to forget

The situation with long haulers and the pandemic in general is a waiting game. “We need doctors to learn as much as possible about the disease and to find ways to help people,” Lambert says. But in the meantime, she says we need to slow the spread of COVID-19 with the tools we already have.

“There’s a lot of fatigue for wearing masks and staying home, but it is worth it,” she adds. I think the worst possible thing that we could do is try to get herd immunity. There are lots of reasons why that won’t work, but we need to try to prevent as many people as possible from getting COVID-19.”

The bottom line is that the novel coronavirus is absolutely Not. Like. The. Flu. “Every single day, we’re learning more about how it damages the body,” Lambert says. “I have talked to and listened to thousands of people who are struggling to get back to any sense of being healthy again. It’s young people. It’s people who were marathon runners.”

The reality is that nearly 8 million people have contracted SARS-CoV-2 in the U.S. already, and the number of long haulers is growing. If you do join the ranks of this expanding group, Lambert encourages people to stay informed about developments, treatments, and resources by following websites like Survivor Corps.

Jennifer Chesak is a Nashville-based freelance book editor and writing instructor. She earned her Master of Science in journalism from Northwestern’s Medill and is working on her first fiction novel, set in her native state of North Dakota.

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