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'Tis the season for pine, spice, and all that good stuff.

Do you smell that? That inescapable deluge of pine, spice, and good cheer can mean only one thing: The holidays are upon us. Or, as I like to call it, Candle Season™. For candle fans, there is no better time than right now, when candles burn constantly, a soft glow settles over the world, and cozy, warm scents fill the air. Now that the sun sets in the afternoon, my daily candle burning starts basically at lunchtime.

You don’t have to be a candle obsessive like me to appreciate a good holiday candle. Not only do they make the perfect gift for literally anyone (office Secret Santa, doormen, mom, long lost cousin, I can go on), but they’re also the best thing to festive-ize your abode without hours of decorating or messy pine needle cleanup. Personally, I would rather have a good-smelling apartment bathed in the soft glow of multiple candles than all the garlands and ribbons and lights you could buy.

While the best holiday candles lean into the scents of the season like fresh pine, smokey woods, and warm spices, the true MVPs are candles that you can burn year round without seeming like someone who leaves their Christmas lights up in July. By all means, burn a candle that smells like a Christmas tree, but if you want to get more use out of it, look for one mixed with other woods like cedar or sandalwood to temper the in-your-face Christmas of it all. Or, instead of overdosing on cinnamon, burn one that has cardamom or black pepper for that spicy, but less season-specific, note. You don’t have to limit Candle Season™ to just a few months—you have the power to extend it to twelve.

So I say go forth and candle! You couldn’t ask for a better time of year to stock up and light up. After hours and hours of sniffing dozens upon dozens of candles, I’m confident in telling you that these are the best out there. Share the wealth with anyone on your gift list, or just hoard them for yourself and let the good scents roll.

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Look, I get it: Sometimes you don’t want some high concept, out-of-the-box holiday candle. Sometimes you want to get smacked in the face with holiday cheer. This candle does the smacking and then some. It’s cinnamon up the wazoo, plus clove and nutmeg in case you weren’t feeling cozy enough. Plus, you can’t beat the price for a large, three-wick size.

When it comes to holiday candles, you really can’t get any better than Nest, whose scented candles are as desirable as they are ubiquitous. This rich blend of winter woods (fir balsam, and pine, and birch) immediately makes you feel like you’re standing next to a Christmas tree even if there isn’t one in sight. 

Can cinnamon be sexy? In this case yes, and believe me, this candle is a vibe. Sure, there’s cinnamon, which gives you a seasonally appropriate vibe, but Otherland's version is warmed up with amber and white musk, which takes cinnamon out of the kitchen and into more sensual territory. Think of it as the perfect candle for a grown-up holiday for two.

If you don’t think the smell of sweet, earthy figs is appropriate for the holiday season, then allow me to tell you to “bring us some figgy pudding.” Fig is an underappreciated star of the season, and when blended with fir balsam and cardamom as it is in this candle, it becomes even more apparent. The warm, cozy scent is both familiar and unexpected, which makes it a perfect foil to the constant barrage of pine.

The special edition, different-every-year Diptyque holiday candle is something of a collector’s item, and this year's is extra special because it’s the storied brand’s 60th anniversary. This Flocon candle is meant to smell like a snowflake or, at least, the idea of a snowflake. What that actually means is a blend of white musk and mimosa that translates into a wintery floral that’s not too sweet, and smells festive yet untraditional enough that you could still get away with burning it in June.

I’ll always be a fan of holiday votive sets because I am fickle and I never want to be locked in to just one scent. Sometimes you need to switch it up, you know? This festive set is ideal for indecisive dudes like me—there are three different scents, each of which absolutely screams holiday: frosted pine, winter currant, and spiced pomander. Keep them all around and switch up the one you’re burning whenever the mood strikes.

If the tartan packaging on this candle didn’t tip you off, the vibe is Holiday with a capital H. Inspired by Konrad’s childhood holidays at his family farm, it’s like instant Christmas at first light. It’s a double dose of pine (both tree and cone) elevated by camphor, sage, and cinnamon with a touch of nostalgia.

With all that family time, who doesn’t want to escape into a little haze now and then? The scent of this candle is more reminiscent of that idea, rather than literally smelling like you’re hotboxing your living room. A hint of pungent cannabis is blended with cedarwood, patchouli, and sandalwood, then tempered with bergamot and magnolia. It’s woody and festive but with a wink.

The festival of lights might be over already, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still burn (and buy) this candle, especially if you’re not a fan of more traditional holiday scents. The blend of olive and incense (with a hint of citrus) is hard to identify when burning, but fills the room with a hint of spice that’s both comfortable and somehow mystical. 

This candle is both a non-holiday candle and the most literal Holiday candle, because the fragrance was created in partnership with NBA star Jrue Holiday, who is apparently fragrance obsessed. There are holiday-friendly notes like cardamom, nutmeg, and cedar, but they’re mixed with citruses and florals to make this appropriate for every season.

This holiday candle has a wild side—like, really wild. On the surface, the scent is classic holiday. We’re talking pine, balsam, clove, and wood smoke, like a Christmas tree next to a fireplace. But smoldering below the surface is the scent of leather—as if that tree and fireplace were in a BDSM dungeon. Light it to get festive and freaky.

Really, any candle can be a holiday candle if you try hard enough. Lean into the spiritual side of the holiday season with this incense-heavy concoction from iconic niche perfumery Aedes. It’s a little out of the box, but the smokey Mayan incense smells simultaneously like an ancient church and a post-holiday trip to the beaches of Tulum. No other candle can do holiday-to-beach better.

What’s the best thing about the holidays? The parties, of course. And whether you’re hitting the parties hard this season or still sitting them out, this candle captures all of the cheer to keep the vibes flowing. Think holiday hits: balsam fir, gingerbread, clove, spruce, cedarwood, even “frozen berries.” The overall effect is like a silver tinsel tree—lit and sparkly.

If you’re more about giving a subtle nod to the season than, say, hitting yourself over the head with a Christmas cracker, this wood-based set is the perfect way to do that. Each of the three candles smells like a crackling fire, but with a different mix of woods. There’s smokey palo santo, sultry sandalwood with tobacco and suede, and a more subtle wood and floral blend.

I’m always a sucker for a realistic candle that smells exactly as it promises. Close your eyes after lighting this and you’ll swear you’re sitting in front of a crackling fire. The scent is extremely smokey (in a good way) and very wood-heavy (also in a good way), and somehow captures both the smell and feeling of fireside lounging.

The blown glass vessel of this candle from centuries-old French brand Trudon (it was apparently Marie Antoinette’s favorite candle company) might scream Christmas, but this wood-heavy scent laden with spices smells more like a crackling fire in an ultra-luxe ski chalet. If you’re okay shelling out a bit more for a luxe candle, this is just the ticket.