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Candle that looks like the KKK has its hood pulled

Posted on by Kennedy
Candle that looks like the KKK has its hood pulled

Bath & Body Works is pulling a seasonal candle from shelves after complaints that the snowflake design on the label resembled Ku Klux Klan hoods.

In a nod to a folded snowflake cutout, some people online called the design “Klandle” and “KKKandle” for the two cut holes in the white, pointed snowflake tips.

The company apologized Thursday for the three-wick “Snowed In” candle. “At Bath & Body Works, we are committed to listening to our teams and customers and fixing any mistakes we make – even those as unintentional as this one,” Bath & Body Works said in a statement shared with USA TODAY . “We apologize to anyone we offended, are working quickly to have this article removed, and are evaluating our moving forward.”

Mid-week after the holiday-themed candle was unveiled, complaints about the candle started making the rounds online. The design reminded some of the hoods of the Ku Klux Klan, a white supremacist group that was founded in 1866 and boomed during the civil rights movement.

“Don’t be surprised if we don’t see this one in store!” self-proclaimed “candle collector” @_scentsgalore posted on Instagram. “I didn’t see it at first, but now I can’t ignore it!”

The supporters were divided. “Nobody caught it because it’s a paper snowflake. People are literally looking for reasons to be outraged lol,” one poster said.

“People who say they can’t see it are gaslighting. It’s staring you right in the face,” said another.

Both opinions could be correct, noted another commenter: “Being offended is subjective. Just because you aren’t doesn’t mean other people’s feelings are invalid!”

Controversy: Crowd holds up slogan of white supremacist group at Trump/Vance event

“Damn, Bath & Body Works really gave 'White Christmas' new meaning,” fashion and pop culture site Diet Prada wrote on its Instagram account.

On “If we noticed, I’m sure,” one commenter also noticed people at the company.

Bath & Body Works: Not the first complaint about insensitivity

Two years ago, the personal care and fragrance retailer launched Black History Month products — Kente fabric designs adorned some packaging — that were deemed cultural appropriation.

“This was a missed opportunity to advance culture instead of profiting from the black dollar like most companies,” said Shyriaka “Shy” Morris, New Smyrna Beach, Fla.-based artist and founder of PEACE ARTS (Positive Education and Creative Expressions) , at the time to the Daytona Beach News-Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network.

Follow Mike Snider on X and Threads: @mikesnider & Mikegsnider.

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