Hosting family and friends for your holiday celebrations this year? Delight your guests by filling your home with the anticipated holiday scent of 2024. Set the perfect mood with this captivating fragrance that’s quickly becoming a seasonal favorite. Not only will it elevate your event, it’ll also leave a lasting impression that will make guests think of your home every time they catch a whiff of it in the future.

To help you discover the scent that will define this Christmas, we reached out to fragrance experts. These industry professionals are sharing their insights into the most exciting trends in home fragrances this season, and they also offer tips on how you can re-create the holiday scent of 2024 in your own home—whether through candles, essential oils, or simmer pots.

The Holiday Scent of 2024: Warm Spices and Woodsy Pine

We predict the holiday scent of 2024 to be a nostalgic, balanced blend of warm spices and woodsy pine—an aroma that will bring both comfort and a touch of elegance to any home. This prediction is based on both consumer data and professional opinion.

The essential oil company, Aura Cacia, recently conducted a survey that asked respondents about their holiday scent preferences. “Based on our survey, we predict guests will overall look for nostalgic smells. Smell has a strong connection to memory, and by capturing nostalgic scents you can create positive mood states and comfort,” says Jennifer Kellison, the brand’s director of innovation. “Nostalgic smells that rose to the top of our survey are food-related (think of gingerbread, cinnamon & clove, and freshly baked cookies), but some guests are also drawn to woody seasonal smells like pine and frankincense.”

Sue Phillips, founder and CEO of Scenterprises, agrees with this forecast, emphasizing that the holiday scent of 2024 will capture the warmth and coziness of the season, but with a refreshing twist that blends tradition with modern appeal.

“For this year, I’d predict that the scent will focus on a blend of familiar holiday spices with uplifting, aromatic evergreen notes and a hint of luxurious warmth—something that instantly makes your home feel inviting, festive, and sophisticated,” Phillips says.

A fan-favorite candle company agrees with this assessment: Brittany Bell, director of fragrance and education at Voluspa, is forecasting a warm, classic scent that features the earthy, grounding aroma of evergreen trees, while still incorporating cozy notes of amber and cashmere musk.

Given this collective expertise, we can confidently guess that your guests will love this cozy holiday scent combination.

How to Make the Scent At Home

Of course, you could buy a candle with this magical spicy, woodsy scent, but you can also re-create it at home. Try making your own candles, or dispersing the scent with essential oils or a stovetop simmer pot. If you have an essential oil diffuser, combine a few drops each of bergamot, juniper, cinnamon, clove, cedarwood, and a hint of vanilla for a rich, unforgettable aroma. For an even cozier and homemade approach, combine sliced oranges, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and a few juniper sprigs in a pot of water. Let the mixture simmer gently and add more water as needed.