Bath and Body Works Pulls Candles Following Backlash, Issues Apology for Offense

Bath and Body Works has halted sales of its new winter-themed candle following backlash from shoppers who said the design resembled Ku Klux Klan hoods.

The controversy erupted after online commenters criticized the paper snowflake design, noting its resemblance to the hoods worn by members of the Ku Klux Klan.

The Ku Klux Klan is a white supremacist group founded in 1865, known for its history of violence and terror against Black Americans. The Klan’s hood has since become a widely recognized hate symbol, according to the Anti-Defamation League.

Bath and Body Works Canada issued an apology regarding the Snowed In candle, calling the design a mistake.

“At Bath and Body Works, we are committed to listening to our teams and customers, and fixing any mistakes we make — even unintentional ones like this,” the company said in a statement. “We apologize to anyone we’ve offended and are working swiftly to remove the item and review our process moving forward.”

However, not everyone found the design offensive.

“This is actually just stupid,” Twitter user ChaoticNerd (@nerds4nerds) wrote. “There is nothing racist about this. People are looking for reasons to race bait.”