When it’s dark and cold, candles really come into their strength. Warming your home with a few candles really sets the stage, especially when entertaining. Christmas candles tend to follow a few key themes in order to evoke the warmth of the holidays, and usually have wax colored to match the festive shades. Celebrate the holidays with the simple joy of the best Christmas candles.
Without a doubt one of the best-smelling candles ever produced (right up there with the company’s Midsummer’s Night), this candle will quickly have you thinking of White Christmases and tree trimming. Combining evergreen with citrus offers up a full complement of seasonal aromas. Especially recommended if you already love their Balsam & Cedar variety, and both of them work wonders if you go for an artificial tree this year.
You should also have a peek at their Mistletoe scent, which his equally brilliant. There’s also a Red Apple Wreath option, if you want to keep with the wreath theme.
Scent notes: Pine, citrus, hollyberry, cedar Burn time: 110-150 hours Featured size: 22 ounces
Another option from Yankee Candle, this one combines the woody, earthy scents with cinnamon and clove, moving it just a touch closer to the food scented candles some people absolutely love.
This is a great option for people like me who don’t go in for the food ones as much, but want to branch out from the strictly plant-based smells.
Village Candle is the Maine-based, less expensive version of Yankee Candle. This dual wick candle is perfect for that warm, sweet smell of many ingredients of the entire holiday season. Perfect for any time from Thanksgiving to New Year’s, this is sure to make your home feel cozy.
Part of a collection that also includes John Steinbeck and Mark Twain, Paddywax offer this interesting take on a holiday candle featuring Charles Dickens. With notes of juniper and clove, it certainly smells the part, but the quote they chose comes from A Christmas Carol: “I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.”
Scrooge’s line comes after his visit with the Christmas spirits and reflects his transformation. A fine collection of things worth remembering this holiday season.
Recalling both holiday meals like Christmas breakfast and bracing beverages that help you face the cold, this candle isn’t necessarily intentionally holiday specific, but features scents that will warm your spirit and put you in the right frame of mind. With the rustic, down home accents, this candle should do the trick while piquing your appetite for something sweet or boozy.
Scent notes: Maple syrup, buttery rum, vanilla, cinnamon Burn time: 155 hours Featured size: 34 ounces
Relying heavily on fruits in season over the winter, the key element to this candle is pomegranate. This fruit is key to Greek Christian symbolism, and was previously offered to the goddess Demeter. The white and gold glass design will match well with virtually any holiday decor. In addition to this two ounce size, you can buy an 8.1 ounce size and a 21.2 ounce size.
Following on stylistically from the Nest offering above, these premium Trapp soy candles are definitely on the pricey side. To some degree, that’s made up for by the relatively long burn time for the size. This Holiday variety combines cinnamon, gingerbread and even bourbon for a finely scented experience. Other offerings in the Seasonal Collection include White Fir, Orange Clove, and Lemon Sugar Cookie.
Goose Creek bill their candles as being the cleanest burning and most fragrant candles on the market. It’s possible that they’re right, but either way, this cinnamon and clove centered candle will make the perfect accent to your home during the cold months. The two wicks will ensure even burning over the 150 hour burn time.
Though they burn faster than other options, this Chesapeake Bay Candle offering makes up for it with a unique and rustic package that recalls simpler times. The combination of chestnut and acorn will have you thinking of a certain Christmas classic without actually having to put food over any open flame. This soy wax candle is also available in a 7.2 ounce jar and a 19.5 ounce jar.
While the other options on this list are made with soy or paraffin and scented with fragrances, these candles from Bluecorn Naturals combine 100 percent pure beeswax with essential oils to form their non-toxic candles. This Cinnamon Zest scent is just one of their three Holiday scents. The others are Fresh Cut Spruce for the evergreen lovers and Honey Vanilla for a little sweetness. These are handmade in Colorado by a small family company.
Scent notes: Cinnamon, citrus Burn time: 45 to 60 hours Featured size: 8 ounces
I absolutely love Illume candles. I usually burn their Balsam & Cedar scent, but assuming you want something more than just Christmas tree smells, this offering might be the one for you. It combines citrusy chypre with a wood undertone for a more subtle nod to the season.
You might also consider their cozy Woodsmoke scent. All of them are available in festive decorated tins.
Scent notes: Chypre and wood Burn time: 50 hours Featured size: 11.8 ounces
This offering from Thymes combines a very high-quality wax, with a burn time of 50 hours at only 6.5 ounces, with a subtle variation on the traditional conifer scented Christmas candle. Siberian Fir trees lend their scent, along with undertones of cedar and sandalwood for an interesting, soothing aroma.
This set is meant to serve you from Halloween through Christmas, pairing two complementary seasonal scents in one package. Given that many people eat pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving and Christmas, we see no reason that you couldn’t burn either one at any time during the holidays.
The Cinnamon Pumpkin candle leans on the food scents, while the Cedarwood Fir provides the hit of evergreen complemented by brightening citrus. The red, green, and gold jar decorations help tie them both in further.
Maybe it’s because I grew up near the ocean, but I love the idea of this themed candle. Not just Christmas, but Christmas by the ocean. Typical sea air scents are paired with balsam to set the scene. A combination of two of my very favorite candle scents – highly recommended.
Scent notes: Ocean salt air, sea kelp, balsam Burn time: 170 hours Featured size: 26 ounces
For some, the smell of baking best recalls the memories of the holidays. This classic offering from Yankee Candle delivers the warm, just-out-of-the-oven smell of sugar cookies. It’s a particularly warming candle and quite soothing.
