As a gifting item, scented candles get such a bad rap.

Naysayers say it feels impersonal and runs counter to what the gift should represent: that you put thought into something the receiver would really love and enjoy.

But to those who actually love and enjoy how that one flick of a match can transform our otherwise somber mood or dour surroundings, candles are always a welcome gift at Christmastime or any time of the year.

And when the general atmosphere is less than merry and joyful, as in the times we live in, who would say no to lifted spirits and some Christmas air—even if it’s just through a pine- or gingerbread-scented jar of wax?

Advent calendar with 35-g jars of 12 favorite Diptyque candles

For the holidays, Diptyque’s home fragrance collection pays homage to a longtime employee of 20 years, a monsieur named Henri, who is the manager of its 34 boulevard Saint-Germain boutique, where the brand started.

Diptyque, founded in 1961, tells of a magical winter story told in three “acts,” each act revealing the brand’s limited-edition candles for the holidays.

First, there’s Sparkling Incense, which is a radiant blend of elemi and spicy cloves, swirled with incense and the lingering sweetness of vanilla.

Second is Delicious Spices, a thoroughly Christmas scent of warm gingerbread with a whiff of star anise.

Third is The Festive Fir Tree, reminiscent of cool, wintry holidays in a pine forest, with notes of resin, cedar and patchouli.

Limited edition

Each comes in a special glazed glass jar—blue for Sparkling Incense; red for Delicious Spices; green for The Festive Fir Tree—and specially designed coordinating boxes, inspired by the Pollock theater paper crafts that tell Henri’s Christmas story.

They’re sold individually at 190-g and 70-g jars, and as a set of three 70-g coffret.

The holiday candles also come in individual 190-g jars. Above, Delicious Spices

(The video animation is being shown in the Diptyque boutique in Central Square, and through kamishibai, the ancient Japanese visual storytelling technique, in other branches.)

For your friends who have everything, there’s a limited-edition deluxe holiday candle at 1.5 kg of Diptyque’s most loved scent, Baies (pronounced bae, and is French for berries).

There’s also an Advent calendar containing 12 favorite 35-g candles: Mimosa, Berries, Roses, Fig Tree, Jasmine, Cypress, Hazelnut Tree, Amber, Tuberose, Wood Fide, Pomander and Benzoin.

Diptyque is at Central Square, Adora, and Rustan’s Makati, Shangri-La Plaza and Cebu.