An evening ritual is a series of simple gestures, repeated every day, that mark the end of the day. Dimming the light, setting screens aside, lighting a candle, opening a book, then putting out the flame before heading to the bedroom. The fragrance becomes the signal: evening after evening, lighting it is enough for the day to close.
Why a ritual?
The word comes from the Latin ritus, custom, a way of doing things. A ritual need be neither long nor complicated: what matters is repetition. The same gestures, in the same order, at roughly the same time, end up drawing a line between the time outside and the time at home.
The idea is an ancient one. Plutarch reports that in Egypt, priests burned kyphi at nightfall, a fragrance of sixteen ingredients. We tell this story in our guide to scents by inner state.
1. Dim the light
Switch off the ceiling light, turn on a low lamp. Warm, soft light is enough to change the atmosphere of a room: it is the first sign that the day is drawing to a close.
2. Choose your evening scent
Three of our scents love the end of the day.
- Sancta Myrrha, our scent of rest: myrrh, frankincense and benzoin, amber and smoky. We like to light it as the daylight fades.
- Éclat du Kerala, from the Serenity virtue: a soft, milky sandalwood, lifted with cinnamon and saffron.
- Lee La Wa Dee, from the Joy virtue: frangipani, jasmine and ylang-ylang, for evenings when the pace slows.
3. Light it, and let the fragrance settle
Light the candle in the room where you will spend the evening and let it burn for one to two hours, long enough for the whole surface of the wax to melt and for the fragrance to diffuse. The first time, wait until the wax has melted from edge to edge before putting it out. Our advice on how to burn a scented candle details every gesture.
4. Set screens aside
Put your phone in another room, or turn it face down. Instead: a few pages of a book, three lines in a notebook, a record, an infusion. The point is not to fill the time, but to let it slow down.
5. A moment for yourself
A bath, a hot shower, a facial: the bathroom lends itself to the ritual. If the candle comes with you, place it on a stable surface, away from towels and curtains, and stay close to it.
6. Put out the flame, keep the trail
Before heading to the bedroom, put out the candle with a snuffer: the flame is smothered without smoke and the fragrance stays in the room. Once the wax has cooled, top it with a monogrammed glass lid, which preserves the essences of its fragrance until the next day.
Never fall asleep with a candle burning. In the bedroom, a Scented Stone on the bedside table takes over, without flame or heat.
A ritual to give
An evening ritual can be passed on, too. The Sancta Myrrha Ritual Set brings together the Signature Candle and the Miniature Stone Set in the same fragrance: the flame for the living room, the stone for the bedroom. The madder-red ribbon and your message are complimentary: add them from your cart. Find all our ideas on our Gifts page.
Frequently asked questions
Which scent should I choose for the evening?
Enveloping notes: the resins of Sancta Myrrha, the sandalwood of Éclat du Kerala, or the white flowers of Lee La Wa Dee for a lighter evening.
Can you fall asleep with a candle burning?
No. Always put out the flame before going to sleep. To keep a fragrance in the bedroom, choose a Scented Stone, which diffuses without flame or heat.
How long should an evening ritual last?
A few minutes are enough: what matters is repeating the same gestures every evening. The candle itself can burn for one to two hours.
How do I find the scent that suits me?
Our short scent quiz guides you in four questions towards one of our six scents.
Further reading
