Countdown to Christmas with Tech — December 2022 Version

Technology and Christmas may not seem like a match made in heaven but with these advent calendars, you can have fun sharpening your skills while working your way to the big day. Here you’ll find a list full of options for you to make your holiday season a little brighter through the best gift you can give yourself, knowledge! So get ready to take on a 24-day adventure of fun leading you right into the day full of cheer. 🔔

Table of Contents

• HTMHell
• 24 Days in December
• Advent of JavaScript
• Advent of CSS
• Advent of Code
• C# Advent Calendar
• Java Advent Calendar
• Festive Tech Calendar
• .NET Advent Calendar
• Summary

HTMHell

A collection of some downright awful HTML practices found from actual websites exists at htmhell.dev. Last year a set of 24 links to articles was created about the HTML found on different sites. This year, the HTMHell author plans to publish 24 articles written for the advent calendar specifically. Within these articles, you‘ll find issues with layouts, labels, forms, buttons, etc. Basically, anything that should not be done when writing HTML properly. Whether you’re a new or experienced developer, you’re likely to learn something new or at least get a laugh out of what not to do on each day of this calendar.

24 Days in December

A PHP topics calendar that is created by you and for you. The organizer of this calendar asks for anyone to contribute by submitting anything PHP related they have learned or been working on this past year. According to the Twitter account, proposals don’t have to be super technical and can be fun like using PHP in a unique way by integrating with one of your non-tech related hobbies (i.e. knitting).

Advent of JavaScript

Get ready for a new JavaScript challenge each day! With the Advent of JavaScript calendar, you’ll find a new daily task during the 24 days of advent for you to test your JavaScript skills. Each challenge will come in an email with the HTML and CSS included, so you can simply focus on writing the JavaScript portion. The advent calendar challenges are free but if you want solutions, there is a small fee of $24 which gives you the full code and its explanation. You also have the option to turn it into a double advent challenge by bundling it with Advent of CSS for $39.

Advent of CSS

With Advent of CSS, you have similar options to Advent of JavaScript in terms of pricing (challenges are free, $24 for solutions, and $39 for the bundle). The 24 challenges include all assets needed including a Figma file to get you started. Each day you’ll receive an email with a brief on how to get started, FAQs, and more.

Between the JavaScript and the CSS advent calendars, the holiday season sure looks bright for web developers!

Advent of Code

No matter what language you choose to program in, you’ll find a collection of challenges within Advent of Code to practice your programming skills. These puzzles are meant to span the skill-level spectrum, so whether you’re a beginner or an expert, you’re encouraged to try each one. For the more advanced participants, a global leaderboard exists where you compete with others to solve the challenges as quickly as possible. And finally, there’s even a shop if you want to grab some swag!

C# Advent Calendar

If you’re a C# enthusiast, you’ll love reading the original blog posts that will appear each day in the C# Advent Calendar. Each day there will be two brand new articles to read all about a C# topic. This year’s calendar spots for writing an article have already filled up, so be sure to get in early next year if you wish to contribute. Note: You do still have the option to sign-up as a substitute!

Java Advent Calendar

Similar to the C# Advent calendar, in this Java Advent Calendar you’ll find JVM-related articles each day during the 24-day advent period. The request for papers ended on November 25th, so be sure to plan ahead next year if you want to be featured. The articles in previous years range in content from tips & tricks, to how-to articles, and more.

Festive Tech Calendar

A collection of new content is delivered to you each day by a variety of contributors in the Festive Tech Calendar. The content will be from various communities about all sorts of holiday tech-related stuff in the form of videos, blogs, live sessions, etc. On the site, you’ll find the entire calendar of events happening each day. Oh and a bonus about this calendar, it’s a full 31 days of content (so all month long!)

.NET Advent Calendar

Here’s a calendar for you .NET enthusiasts. Each day in this 24-day long .NET Advent Calendar, the expectation is that a brand new blog post link will be published (although the author of the site does explain that older posts may be used, it just takes away from the excitement). These blog posts will not be on the site but rather hosted through various spaces on the contributor's pages. The calendar for this year is full, so like many other calendars I’ve mentioned, be sure to get your article submissions in early if you want to contribute. Note: This calendar is a service provided by Dusted Codes.

Summary

There’s certainly no shortage of fun that can be had during the Advent season. With all of the different daily resources provided here, your geeky advent heart is sure to be full! 💕 Enjoy.

This article was written by Courtney Yatteau, a Developer Advocate at Esri. The opinions in this article are solely Courtney’s opinions and do not necessarily represent the postings, strategies, or opinions of her employer. If you have any feedback, please like and/or comment. Also, if you have any questions or comments that you’d prefer to send privately, you can contact Courtney through Twitter.