A candle advent calendar is a simple idea. Instead of a chocolate behind each door, you get a scented tealight. One a night, from 1 December to Christmas Eve. It turns the countdown into a small evening ritual, and it lasts longer than a chocolate does.
How our candle advent calendar works
The Glow advent calendar has 24 doors and 24 scented tealights. There are 12 different smells, with two of each. So you meet a scent once, then meet it again later in the month.
That second meeting is the clever part. The first time, a smell is new. The second time, you already know if you love it. By Christmas you have a short list of favourites.
Each tealight burns for 3 to 4 hours. They are made with a soy and paraffin wax blend, and each one sits on a four-footed base for a steady flame. You will not know which smell is behind a door until it is in your hand.
What do you do with the tealights?
Light one each evening in a heat-resistant holder. Let it burn while you have dinner or watch something. Blow it out before bed.
Scented tea candles make December feel slower
December runs fast. Shopping, parties, school plays. A tealight each night is a tiny pause.
- Light it at the same time each day
- Guess the smell before reading the label
- Write down the ones you love
- Share the doors if you have kids
The guessing game is a lovely one to play with kids. Give a point for every right answer and keep score until Christmas Eve.
Where should you keep the calendar?
Somewhere cool and out of direct sun. Wax softens near radiators and on sunny windowsills, and warm wax can lose some of its smell. A shelf in the hallway is ideal. You walk past it every day, so nobody forgets a door.
Keep a small glass holder next to it. Then lighting tonight's tealight takes ten seconds, and the habit sticks.
Christmas fragrance candles as a gift
An advent calendar has to arrive before 1 December to be useful. That makes it one of the few gifts you buy in November. It suits a friend who loves candles, a mum who has everything, or a neighbour you want to thank. It also works for someone living alone. A small treat every evening in December is a kind thing to give.
Quick answers
When should you start a candle advent calendar?
On 1 December, the same as any advent calendar. Order in early November so it arrives in good time, and check the delivery times at checkout.
Can you burn two tealights a night?
You can, but you will finish early. Most people enjoy keeping to one a night and saving the ritual all the way to Christmas Eve.
Twenty-four small evenings of scent is a lovely way to arrive at Christmas. If you want to share the idea, our Ambassadors would love to hear from you.
Related reading
- Scented Tea Lights: Why Small Candles Smell So Good: small candles, big smell, and how to keep them safe
- Christmas Scented Candles: How to Pick a Festive Scent: forest, kitchen or frost, which suits your Christmas
- Why a Candle Fragrance Can Bring Back a Memory in Seconds: the simple science behind scent and memory
