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TueDec 3

Candle Day – December 3, 2024

Every year on the first Saturday of December, falling on December 3 this year, it’s Bath & Body Works’ Candle Day. Stock up on your favorite calming scents for the lowest prices of the year. The day only comes around once annually, so make sure it’s on your calendar!

History of Candle Day

Every year since the day’s 2013 inception, candle lovers across the nation gather on the first Saturday of December to take advantage of Bath & Body Works’ annual candle sale. Three wick candles that usually retail for around $25 will only be $9.50. Some locations will extend their operating hours so that they open earlier and close later, giving their customers ample time to go to the store and sniff out their favorite candles.

From the earliest of times, candle makers added scents to produce the best smelling candles. It started in China with their candle “time clocks”. Incense sticks were often inserted into the wax to add relaxing aromas. Sometimes incense was placed sporadically throughout the candle so that the scent was constantly changing. In the 1980s and 1990s, a rebirth in candle popularity became an international phenomenon, This was due partly to their decorative value, but also their ability to allow the stressed out, modern, over-worked homeowner an opportunity to create a relaxing environment using the aromatherapy of scented candles.

Bath & Body Works, an American retailer under the L Brands umbrella, was founded in 1990 in New Albany, Ohio. The company’s first store opened in a Cambridge, Massachusetts mall in September 1990. In 1997, a secondary brand called Bath & Body Works at Home was launched. Soon it was renamed to Slatkin before settling on the name we know it as today, White Barn Candle Company. The company launched a seasonal catalog, a website, and launched its first television commercial advertisement in 2006. Net sales as of January 28, 2006, were $2.3 billion, significantly higher than all other L Brand companies other than Victoria’s Secret.

Candle Day timeline

1990
Bath & Body Works

American retailer company Bath & Body Works opened in New Albany, Ohio. 

1998
White Barn Candle Company

L Company converted several Bath & Body Works into White Barn Candle Company locations to launch their home fragrance brand.

2013
Bath & Candle Works

The first Bath & Body Works Candle Day was held, offering huge discounts, and established White Barn Candle Company as a brand exclusive to Bath & Body Works later in the year.

2019
Candle crash

Due to high traffic, thousands of online Bath & Body Works shoppers faced issues with the site crashing and glitching while trying to pay for their selections.

Candle Day FAQs

What day is Candle Day?

Candle Day is the first Saturday of December. 

What time does Bath & Body Works open on Candle Day?

Many locations offer extended hours during Candle Day, with most stores opening around 7am and others opening even earlier. 

Is there a limit to how many candles you can buy on Candle Day?

Probably for our own good, Bath & Body Works limits the amount of candles we can get away with at 15. However, there are over 130 scents and 26 exclusives, so you can make those 15 candles as diverse as you want them to be! 

Candle Day Activities

  1. Stock up on your favorite scents

    This is the moment when you can buy enough Mango Coconut candles to last you through the Winter. Buy five candles for the price of two and wonder for the rest of the day if you saved way more money than you were supposed to.

  2. Purchase something new

    Once we discover our favorite scent, we don't like to stray too far from it. This Candle Day, take advantage of the sale to try a new scent. If you don't like it, then at least you didn't pay full price! 

  3. Light 'em up!

    You've got your candles and placed them strategically (and safely) around your home. Now's the time to light them up and inhale the smell of sweet tranquility.

Why We Love Candle Day

  1. They're relaxing

    Though aromatherapy isn't exactly a proven science, something about the smell of burning scented wax in your home is soothing and relaxing, especially lit right after a long day at the office when all you want to do is decompress and let your mind have a much needed break.

  2. They make our homes smell good

    Pets, children, just everyday living can make our homes a little funky. Especially if you live in a small apartment with not much circulation. Sometimes we need to get rid of the funk that comes with existing in a space, and that's where candles can help. A deep cleaning is pretty helpful too though, but how are we supposed to find the time for that?

  3. They're decorative

    A vibrant candle on your coffee table or living room bookcase can double as a statement piece that brings the whole room together as well as a source of fragrant paradise!

Candle Day dates

Year Date Day
2021 December 4 Saturday
2022 December 3 Saturday
2023 December 2 Saturday
2024 December 7 Saturday
2025 December 6 Saturday