While you can burn candles whenever you want, there’s something about this time of year that really calls for them. Between the cold weather and the looming holidays, lighting a candle can really set the ambiance in your home. And with many brands releasing limited-edition holiday candles to fill this exact niche, there’s plenty to choose between whether you prefer a traditional pine scent or a sweet gourmand. Plus, a holiday candle is hard to beat as last-minute gifts for people you don’t know that well, like your kid’s teacher, or that work Secret Santa you might have forgotten until the night before. The 18 holiday candles below have been vetted and burned by myself, fellow Strategist editors and writers, and a few famous What I Can’t Live Without celebs.
It doesn’t really get any more Christmassy than this pine-scented candle from Thymes that senior editor Jen Trolio calls “the best classic evergreen.” Writer Jillian Mapes is also a fan: “Last year, I walked out with Thymes Frasier Fir candles for my godmother, my grandma, and a friend who seemed like she needed a little nudge toward Holiday Town (the piney scent will do that to you),” she writes. “I will weep if they ever stop making this candle.”
When it comes to luxury, few candles can come close to Cire Trudon, and its take on a fir just smells expensive. The packaging and vessel also come in a highly giftable, limited-edition holiday pattern. Bring one of these as a host gift wherever you’re spending the holidays and your host will thank you for it.
Inspired by the Colorado mountains, Good Fir has lots of familiar woodsy notes, like tobacco and moss, alongside other natural scents like banana leaf and tuberose. I’m also very tickled by the Grinch-green glass jar it comes in.
I also love Buck Mason’s classic pine candle, which I’ve gifted to my brother two years in a row.
Strategist writer Liza Corsillo picked up this candle while visiting the new East Fork store on Atlantic Avenue. We often talk about reusing the vessel once the last of the candle’s wax has been burned away, but very few jars are as nice as East Fork’s earthly ceramics. The brand recommends stashing anything from spoons to Q-tips, but I think the jars would also make lovely cups for espresso or mezcal.
Senior editor Hilary Reid has been recently burning these woodsy, limited-edition Hudson Grace candles. The cheery-red box and $22 price point also makes them an ideal Secret Santa gift or stocking stuffer.
Strategist writer Jeremy Rellosa describes Library in a Forest, the newest addition to the The New Savant’s core collection, as “very cozy.” It also comes in three sizes: Mini, with a burn time of up to 25 hours; Standard, which has a burn time of 50 hours, or the aptly named Big Boi, which can go for up to 100 hours.
“Cozy season calls for scents that feel like a cuddled-up hug. Carrière Frères’s winter-forest candle has a crisp freshness, but it’s rounded out with cozy fire and winter-flower notes,” say our friends over at the Cut.
If this time of year you prefer your house to perennially smell like you have a batch of cookies in the oven, instead of a forest, Trolio is a fan of Gingerwood by Poured Candle Bar. “It’s not on-the-nose holiday, but more of a ‘it’s cold outside’ kind of scent,” she says. Made in Hudson with notes of walnut, star anise, ginger, and cardamom, it’s more spicy than sweet.
“Instead of the evergreen scent, this one goes more holiday spice, which is cozy,” says senior editor Crystal Martin, who adds that she loves the pedestaled vessel it comes in. “It looks really twinkly and pretty at night. And it’s substantial.” The other best part? It’s refillable, so you can swap out the seasonal scents for more everyday options throughout the year.
I look forward to Snif’s holiday candles every year, and this year’s release did not disappoint. It has more traditional notes of vanilla, tonka bean, and brown sugar mixed with frosted fir, Siberian pine, and pepper. If you can’t decide between a gourmand and a pine scent, this one is the best of both worlds.
Lafco might not have the sexiest packaging compared to some of the other candles on this list, but it more than makes up for it with its scent profiles and really strong throw. My mom was burning White Maple Bourbon when I was home for Thanksgiving, and it has a nice boozy zing to brighten up the sweetness.
For a cozy candle that smells a little more sophisticated than some other classic gourmand Christmas scents (think: sugar cookie), try Byredo’s Chai. “The Chai candle really does smell like that really lovely, creamy spiced tea,” Byredo enthusiast Antoni Porowski told us. “It’s the ultimate nighttime scent.”
Malin+Goetz’s Dark Rum has notes of leather, ripe plum, bergamot, and a lactic milky note, which reminds me of drinking a cocktail by the fire.
Gifting candles can be tricky since one person’s dream fragrance is another person’s instant headache. But I’ve gifted Diptyque’s holiday sets for years to great success. While you could buy the limited-edition candles in large sizes, for gifting I prefer the set, which gives you three chances to please your recipient. This one has Sapin, with notes of Siberian pine, resin, cedar; Friandise, with notes of gingerbread, cinnamon, and orange peel; and Étoile, with notes of rose, sandalwood, and mimosa.
I personally prefer incense-forward candles around the holidays, and Boy Smells Incensorial fits the bill. True to its name, it’s very smoky, but it also has notes of cardamom and citrus that round it out.
“Lighting this candle reminds me of going to Catholic Mass with my grandmother and walking past an incense table in Brooklyn. It’s nostalgic and comforting,” says Strategist writer (and candle aficionado) Tembe Denton-Hurst. “It also has an impressive throw, particularly when lit. After a half-hour of lighting the candle, my entire living room smells like it, lending the space a meditative feel.”
“I just burned this candle for the first time a week ago and haven’t taken a break yet. It’s warm and sophisticated, but there’s this fruity, moody plum note that makes the scent so delightful,” says Martin, who loves it so much she plans to keep a few on hand to pass along as gifts this holiday season.
The Strategist is designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read about here. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
