Remember what Black Friday used to be like 10 or 20 years ago? Deal hunting has gotten much less chaotic since then, but there’s still one holiday sale that people line up for — and it’s at Bath & Body Works, of all places.
The red gingham-festooned store, where you’ll come out smelling like cucumber and melon, has an annual candle day sale, and shoppers get a little nuts about it. People plan out strategies, wait in long lines, and hunt on social media for leaks of which scents will be available.
To put the sale into perspective, there were so many candles purchased on Candle Day last year that if you “lined up end to end, every 3-wick candle sold during Candle Day weekend in 2024 would span about 1,700 miles, roughly the distance from the southern tip of Florida to Portland, Maine,” according to Bath & Body Works.
Redditors who appear to be B&BW employees are explaining to people just how bad Candle Day gets. “It’s slammed to capacity,” said one Redditor. “My store had a line out the door. They would let a certain amount of people in at a time. Its packed!”
When Is Bath & Body Works Candle Day?
If you want to experience the chaos for yourself, Candle Day this year at Bath & Body Works is on Friday, December 4. Stores will be open early at 6 a.m. that day. You’ll have all weekend, through Sunday, to stock up on cheap candles.
If you don’t want to experience the chaos, you can order your candles online starting at 10 p.m. the night before, Thursday, December 3. That sounds more like our speed, honestly.
There’s lots of advice on Reddit from employees on when to head to the store. “During the day on Friday is better than either weekend day. We open at 5 or 6 and there’s usually a line to get in, and then it dies down after about 45 minutes.”
How Much Are the Candles?
Bath & Body Works 3-wick candles will be $9.95 all Candle Day weekend.
The regular prices for the same candles range from $27 to $30, so that’s a pretty steep discount. It’s the lowest price they’ll be all year.
If you’re stocking up or crossing everyone on your Christmas list off with a candle, take note that there is a limit to the amount you can buy: 24. But really, who needs more than two dozen candles?
Which Candles Will B&BW Have for Candle Day?
There are 180 candles on sale for Candle Day this year, and that includes some returning favorites, exclusives, and plenty of scents that people are excited to get once again.
The ones with the most hype are nostalgic smells from 2016, including Brown Sugar & Fig, Smoked Vanilla, and Blueberry Sugar. “Yeah I’m gonna need Smoked Vanilla and Brown Sugar & Fig!” said one Redditor. “Lord just take all my money,” chimed in another.
Among the typical scents you’d expect in a candle, like Eucalyptus Rainfall and Peach Bellini, there are some real stinkers. Just for Candle Day, B&BW is releasing a handful of bizarre ones, including Holiday Dill-Light that smells like pickles, Popcorn & Slushie, Pizza & Ranch, and Chips & Salsa. While that all sounds good to eat, we’re not so sure about our house smelling like those things for the holidays. But hey, they’d make a great white elephant gift — and be under $10.
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