Christmas scented candles do something decorations cannot. They make the house smell like Christmas before you have even put the tree up. The trick is picking the right smell for your home and your kind of Christmas.
Three types of Christmas scented candles
Most festive smells fall into three groups. Each one creates a different mood.
- Forest: pine, fir and cedar
- Kitchen: cinnamon, clove, orange and baking
- Frost: cool berries, mint and soft sugar
Forest scents feel like bringing the outdoors in. Kitchen scents feel like mulled wine and mince pies. Frost scents are lighter and suit people who find spice too heavy. Our advent calendar covers all three, from Festive Fir to Clove Actually to Candy Cane.
What are the best smelling Christmas candles?
The best one is the one that matches your memories. For many people that is cinnamon and orange. For others it is a pine tree in the front room. Go with your own Christmas.
Pine scented candles and where to put them
Pine is the classic. It works best near the tree or in the hallway, so guests get it as they walk in.
If you have an artificial tree, a pine candle nearby does a lot of work. It adds the one thing plastic branches cannot. Keep it on a shelf or side table, never under the branches or near the lights.
Put sweeter, spicy scents in the kitchen and dining room. They sit nicely with food smells rather than fighting them.
What scent suits a Christmas morning?
Something lighter. Heavy spice before breakfast can be a lot. A soft orange or a cool berry scent feels fresh while presents are opened. Save the rich cinnamon and clove for the evening, when the lights are low and the day slows down.
Winter scented candles for guests
When people visit, light candles an hour before they arrive. The smell has time to settle. Then blow out any you will not be in the room to watch.
Do not overdo it. Three different scents in one open-plan room can clash. Pick one main festive candle for the space and keep the rest gentle.
Keep candles away from coats, cards and paper decorations. December is busy, and it is easy to forget one is burning.
Quick answers
When should you start burning Christmas candles?
Many people start on 1 December, alongside the advent calendar. Others wait until the tree goes up. There is no rule, so light them when it feels right.
Do Christmas candles make good gifts?
Yes. A festive candle is easy to wrap, feels personal and gets used straight away. Pick a smell family you know the person already likes.
Not sure which festive smell is yours? The Glow advent calendar lets you try 12 scents across December. Our Ambassadors can help too, and they get credited when you shop through their link.
Related reading
- A Candle Advent Calendar: 24 Nights of Scent Before Christmas: 24 scented tealights, one for each December night
- Candle Scents Explained: Fruity, Fresh, Floral and More: our five families, and how to find yours
- Scented Candles for Darker Evenings After the Clocks Change: making the early dark feel cosy, room by room
