It’s that time of the year again! Christmas is just around the corner and despite the global halt we are currently facing (thanks but no thanks, COVID19!) we’re still somehow struggling to deal with the hectic Christmas season. Whether you absolutely love everything that has to do with Yuletide season or completely against any glittery decoration, one can’t deny that Christmas comes in all colors and shapes and a long shopping list! What would Christmas be without Santa, the Advent calendar, Christmas presents, and let’s not forget – the good ol’ ham and mulled wine? The Christmas spirit is definitely here and no matter the case, it’s bound to bring us a heavenly cheer.
Wonderful aromas are an important part of the Christmas celebration – the food, the baking, the sweets and the home candles… there’s a scent hanging in the air that announces that Christmas has officially arrived. The wonderful scent can only be described by saying: “It smells like Christmas!” As usual, scents certainly vary according to taste, but typically Christmas is a string of pine trees, cinnamon, hot mulled wine, freshly baked gingerbread, tea, and anything that’s just warm and yummy.
The smell of Christmas simply takes us to another place, reminds us of good times, of family and friends, of gatherings and traditions that’s lived on over the years. The delicious scent of chestnuts roasting mingled with the crisp, cold air is more than enough to make you want to sit by the open fire just looking up at the sparkly Christmas tree. Aside from stringing up a mix of feelings, taking a deep whiff of holiday scents can do you a lot of good. That vanilla in your holiday cookies inspires relaxation while sprinkling some cinnamon on your hot cocoa spikes up your attention… those pine-scented home candles are bound to bust that stress away. Christmassy aromas are bound to put anyone in a festive mood! Imagine if we never knew these scents existed?
Our sense of smell is one of the most important senses because our olfactory memory plays such a vital part when it comes to social and emotional interaction. We as humans naturally affiliate scents with places, people, memories, and more… that is why Christmas has such a special scent. If you’re wondering how this is so, then allow us to explain. Extensive research has discovered that olfactory information goes through a different path from the other senses. Most sensory information goes through the thalamus to be sent to “the right place” before being interpreted by the brain. This is often the step when we become aware of something. However, scents or odors pass through the olfactory memory and reach parts of the brain first which means we process the composition and memory of a smell before we consciously recognize what the smell is.
So now that you know how scents make a journey through the olfactory parts of the brain to bring on that inevitable sense of nostalgia, you can tell your mother how it happens the next time she wants to tell you about the very first time she ever had gingerbread and tea. Or you could probably just listen to her story anyway.
Looking for the best gifts for the holidays? Try our Christmas recommendations:
