Pictures of the 4 Seasons

Pumpkin this, apple that. Fall is coming quickly, and though it might still be 90 degrees outside, many stores are transitioning to seasonal decor. As a season loved by many for the cozy blankets, crunchy leaves, and cooler weather, it is also the season that people switch to their warmest candles that smell of baked goods, sweet spices, and, of course, apples and pumpkins.

While many candle manufacturers follow the pattern of limiting their seasonal scents to the matching time of year, you may wonder if you should stick to that same practice. Some people would say that is the only way to really ring in the new season by making their whole home switch from bright summer scents to rich autumn aromas. However, that leaves the question: what are the rules for this seasonal scent change? Do you start the fall fragrances on July 5th, August 1, or wait until September? Is it a gradual transition or a fast swap?

We have what some would consider to be a controversial answer. We are candle enthusiasts here at Keystone Candle, and we make our "seasonal" scents all year round. So...here's the controversial part.

When to Light Seasonal Candles

There are no rules for when to change your scents to match the season. If you really wanted to, you could light that Spiced Pumpkin candle 365 days a year. Now, that may sound a little crazy to some and absolutely preposterous to others, but who says you have to follow the trends or even the seasons to dictate when to light your candles? They're your candles, and it's your home. Why save your favorite things for only a little time or a special occasion, when every day of your life is a special occasion? In this world of no rules for choosing when to light your favorite candle scents, you can light your seasonal candles whenever you choose.

Yet, for those who prefer to match their candle scents to the seasons, we have provided some guidelines that you can use to decide when the seasons change in your home. Since fall is the next season and also the season that most people enjoy their candles, we will start with the timing of fall candles before discussing the other three seasons.

Fall

If you are looking for a specific time to start your fall candles, here are a couple of markers throughout the year that you can use.

  1. Holidays or occasions. For example, some people declare that July 4th is the end of summer, so July 5th is when they start decorating for fall. Others say that when schools start, autumn begins. If you want to go even a little later, some say that Labor Day is the last holiday of the summer and that marks the beginning of fall for them.
  2. 1st or 15th of the month. Some people begin their fall decorating on August 1st or August 15th, but others wait until September 1st to make their home feel like autumn.
  3. Meteorological or weather-based. The scientific first day of fall is around September 22-23 on the autumnal equinox, which is what decides the start of fall decorating for a few. Some people simply wait to see their first fallen leaf or wait for the temperature to drop below 70 degrees before declaring fall has begun.

Traditionally, most people begin thinking about and decorating for fall and lighting fall candles in August or September, but the exact timing varies by individual preferences. This time of year is when people bring out the coziest and inviting fragrances like Apples and Brown Sugar, Pumpkin Pecan Waffle, and Cinnamon Stick.

Winter

The second season that most people frequently light candles is winter, especially around Christmas. Now, winter has various challenges when trying to pinpoint the exact start because most people have specific opinions about the start of Christmas music, and that affects how early people are willing to light their winter candles or even accept the fact that winter has arrived.

  1. Holidays or occasions. Some people start talking about winter and Christmas after Halloween, but many individuals wait until strictly after Thanksgiving to even think about winter. Black Friday sales and shopping are also a marker for winter for many.
  2. 1st of the month. A lot of people will wait until December 1st before they agree that winter has come.
  3. Meteorological or weather-based. The scientific first day of winter is around December 21 on the winter solstice, but most people will already have their winter decorating long before this date. Some wait for the weather to drop below 40 degrees before they consider winter started.

In general, most people wait until late November or the beginning of December before they start to decorate for winter and pull out their cool season candles like Balsam Fir, Bayberry, and Candy Cane.

Spring

The start of spring is the time of year that many people look forward to because it means being able to enjoy the outdoors without wearing an additional 20 pounds of clothing to keep warm.

  1. Holidays or occasions. For some, the spring season starts with Valentine's Day, but some people wait until St. Patrick's Day before switching from their winter decor. Others simply get to a point where they are fed up with the cold and the winter, and they rebel against the weather by beginning to decorate for spring.
  2. 1st of the month. Many people like to use March 1st as the first sign that spring is coming.
  3. Meteorological or weather-based. The scientific first day of spring is around March 19-21 on the spring equinox, which some people use as their mark for decorating. A lot of people claim that it's spring as soon as the weather goes above 40 degrees, they see their first flower, or the first birds start flying home.

Many people mark the start of spring around the beginning of March, which is when they pull out their brighter and fresher candles like Clean Cotton, Lavender, and Lemon Meringue.

Summer

The start of summer is the time of year that many people look forward to, and the line between spring and summer is not the most defined.

  1. Holidays or occasions. A lot of people kick off the summer on Memorial Day, but some people use the end of the school year to mark the beginning of summer in their homes.
  2. 1st or 15th of the month. Some people consider the middle of May to be when spring shifts to summer, but a lot of people use June 1st as their first real summer day.
  3. Meteorological or weather-based. The scientific first day of summer is June 21 on the summer solstice, but generally, people start their summer decorating earlier than that date. Many people use a temperature above 65 degrees or even when the first leaves start to come back on the trees as the first signs of summer.

Summer traditionally is marked around the middle-end of May and the beginning of June when people shift to really bold and bright candle scents like Beach Vibes, Jamaica Me Crazy, and Orchard Sunset.

Do I Have to Match My Candle Scents to the Seasons?

Depending on who you ask, you may get different answers. Some people stick strictly to the seasons when choosing which candle scent to light. However, there really are no rules about when you can or should light your favorite candle fragrances. 

Some people might call you an oddball, but who cares what they think. You're enjoying your favorite scent on a random Tuesday because you decided that every day is a special occasion.