What are your Top 10 Christmas scents this festive season? We have a few delicious favourite fragrances here at Candle Towers. Starting with the temptingly tasty…..
1 Gingerbread – I don’t know about you but every Christmas I buy one of these Gingerbread House Kits from Aldi It never gets eaten ( apart from the sweets that decorate the roof and doorway, I always have to buy more) it’s so much fun to make and creates a fabulous ginger and spice festive scent in the hallway.
2 Clementine – A cross between a mandarin and sweet orange, who doesn’t get one of these in their stocking? The minute you smell the juicy scent when you peel back the flesh it transports you to Christmas morning. We have Juicy Clementine in the Candle Making workshop for Christmas.
3 Chestnuts – Roasting on an open fire or so the song goes. They are a traditional holiday snack in many countries. You don’t need an open fire however, you can score the shell and bake them in the oven or frying pan. I don’t have them at any other time of year, and they are lovely to have outside if you are wandering around a festive market.
4 Mulled Wine – I love making a huge pot of this and keeping it on the stove, if only to scent the kitchen! It’s very mature come Christmas Day, I add red wine of course, I don’t believe in the ‘buying cheap’ wine just because it’s getting warmed I like a good old full bodied hearty red. Add the spicy cloves, cinnamon sticks, star anise and slices of orange and leave to gently warm, never boil, you can buy ready made muslin bags filled with spices but I prefer to make my own. Instant yuletide aroma fills the air
5 Pine – No other scent like it, the trees produce a scent called terpenes which give them a unique scent. Do you still get the green Pine air freshener to hang in your car? Do you like an artificial or real tree for Christmas? I always go for a real one, part of the festive season is choosing the right tree for your home. As long as it is sustainable and trees are being planted in it’s place. I believe you actually get Pine spray for artificial trees. According to Patch.com the top 5 longest lasting Christmas trees are 1. Concolor Fir 2. Fraser Fir 3. Douglas Fir 4. Scotch Pine 5. Spruce
6 Candy cane – Or Peppermint Originated from Germany around 250 years ago, they started straight. ‘J’ was supposed to represent Jesus, the white of the cane to represent purity and red for the blood shed on the cross. The mint came from the Hyssop plant used for purifying the bible.
7 Cinnamon – From the bark of a tree, so not really edible in it’s stick form until it is ground down. It’s grown in the middle and far east and has many wonderful uses apart from cooking like lip plumper (sign me up) anti inflammatory and moth repellent
8 Frankincense – Sweet and woody resin from the Boswellia Tree, pellets were found in the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. It’s known for it’s relaxing properties and great for meditation. I use it at night on the soles of my feet with a carrier oil.
9 Myrrh – Also resin secreted from a tree, it has been used since ancient times and was obviously one of the three gifts given to baby Jesus. A woody aromatic scent, also has many healing benefits. I love this entwined with Frankincense as it is so magical. It was known to have been used in the brandy infusion to preserve the body of Admiral Nelson.
10 Cloves & Star Anise – Cloves are a flower bud grown in Bangladesh, Tanzania and India to name a few countries. As well as an aromatic scent, the buds have been known to improve conditions with the liver, bone, stomach, blood and kill off bacteria.
Our popular Christmas candle Noel
Bibliography:
Wikipedia
C&en Articles
Neals Yard Remedies
Whychristmas.com
