The holiday season is probably the richest of all others in terms of sounds, pageantry, colorful imagery, and particularly, fragrances that spark the recall of memories long buried under the ashes of times past.
The delectable aromas of pumpkin pie wafting from the kitchen, chestnuts roasting in a cracking fire-place and the woodsy pine of a freshly cut Christmas tree offer delightful transport to potent recollections of childhood.
Holiday scents capture those golden memories that although always on the verge of recall, have since fallen away into the tangled morass of forgotten things.
While the true power of scent may never be fully understood, its success as a marketing tool is unmistakable. Fragrance is the trigger for an emotional journey that has no ultimate destination. It hurls the mind back into yesteryear with many stops along the way to nowhere in particular.
The most memorable of all scents associated with the holiday season originate in nature.
Rich woodsy aromas found in balsam, spruce and other varieties of evergreens as well as citrus products in warmer climes all spell the holidays, whether found in dried potpourri or wafting from the boughs of a glittering decorated holiday tree. Scents soothe holiday anxiety in a way nothing else can.
Stress can be a real problem for many people celebrating at home. It stems from the pressure of wanting to create the “perfect” Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwansaa or New Year holiday amid screaming children, uninvited and demanding in-laws, invited and demanding in-laws, family members, friends and neighbors, all of whom know better how to do just about everything you are doing incorrectly (which is everything, by the way).
Holiday scents correct emotional imbalance and nourish the sanity of a stressful host or hostess.
Our sense of smell, unlike the other four, is closely aligned with memory. The key to understanding how scent influences memory and emotion lies in the brain’s limbic system, which is comprised of a set of structures that are known to control mood, memory, behavior and emotion.
Scientists consider this to be an ancient, primeval sector because these same formations were present within the brains of the very first mammals. In addition to memory generation, smell is also allied with emotion. Modern fragrances, whether for home or industry, deliberately convey a wide spectrum of emotions ranging from sensual desire to vitality and relaxation.
Anatomically, the olfactory bulb is the first to receive a particular smell, which it then transmits a response to the amygdala (the neural structure that processes emotions) and the hippocampus (the region that helps retain memories).
The human emotional response to smell is governed by association, which derives from the fact that each person is different and will experience a certain aroma in a manner unique to their own mental perceptions.
Depending on the individual, a perfume may be potent and heady or overpowering and repugnant. Despite this, there are still some smells that all humans find universally offensive, such as the acrid smell of smoke or rotting food.
Smell is considered to be “our most emotional sense” because it is always associated with feelings. According to research conducted by Nobel Peace Prize winners, Richard Axel and Linda Buck, humans have the capacity to remember some 10,000 separate smells, all of which can recall memories indelibly imprinted in childhood. Some $300 million is attributed annually to the global scent-marketing industry.
Its market size was valued at USD 6.7 billion in 2018 and is estimated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.4% from 2019 to 2025. Expansion is attributed to both a rise in discretionary income and an increasing demand among consumers to mask unpleasant odors.
A kaleidoscope of whirling images and aromas specific to fall and winter are captured in the following scents which are all available now at the Home Freshener website.
This tart, sugary, fruity and jasmine nuanced fragrance suggests contentment, which subtly affects both consumer purchasing patterns and home-owner serenity during holiday times. Distinctly feminine elements of rich and luxurious vanilla stream through this pleasant scent and greatly influence environmental perceptions.
Perhaps most powerful of all is the association between sugar plums and happy family times with Henry Clement Moore’s iconic poem, The Night Before Christmas, and particularly the line: The children were nestled all snug in their beds while visions of sugar plums danced in their heads.
For those sunless, depressing and cold winter days, the aroma of almond biscotti wafts through the human psyche as a welcoming, flavorful respite.
The fragrance is characterized as being identical to the aroma of delicate, buttery, sweet and crispy cookies with subtle traces of almond, elegant vanilla (extract) and dark chocolate. This scent also features hints of minty, cool and fresh peppermint and sweet, bitter, salty and sour anise seed.
Reminiscent of falling leaves and cooler climes, this fragrance is marked by notes of sweet, spicy and creamy pumpkin, varied spices and the slightest tinge of lush vanilla and sensual, rich and buttery caramel. This scent evokes the warmth and comfort of home and hearth and memories from past holiday times.
This flavorful blend of Winesap apples and neutral grain spirits is the cornerstone of this apple brandy that has become a classic scent associated with autumn and winter.
Its moniker has a rich and colorful history dating back to the days of colonial America when apple brandy was created by a process of freeze distillation or “jacking.” Its unique and wonderful aroma is captured by a top note hallmarked by cozy, homey and inviting cinnamon stick, warm and comforting mulled apple cider and green and fresh cooling menthol.
These elements soon fall away to a heart note of spicy cinnamon, sweet, piquant and hot clove and fruity, tropical and grassy apple skins. The fragrance finishes with a base note comprised of fruity ground cinnamon, slightly metallic cream of tartar and elegant, vanilla-nuanced cream cheese icing.
Loving goodies bursting with flavor drifting from a family oven and busy times come to mind with one single whiff of this holiday-inspired scent that opens with a top note of invigorating citrus.
Soon this aspect melds into a heart note of warm, fruity and piquant cinnamon, and ultimately finishes with a base note emphasized by spice nuanced and sensual musk.
This plum-type fragrance opens with a tart, fruity and green top note that soon acquiesces into a floral heart note bouquet dominated by intense and intoxicating jasmine. The scent completes with a base note featuring sugary, caramelized and elegant vanilla.
Whether it is a gingerbread house, cookies or other holiday-related goodies, this fragrance is always associated with and provokes poignant memories of childhood, Christmas wonder and gift sharing.
A spicy, sweet, cinnamon, lush vanilla, piquant clove and caramel-tinged molasses amalgam, European colonists brought gingerbread to the New World in the 17th century. To this day, nothing symbolizes a holiday fragrance for the home more vividly than gingerbread.
A nostalgic fragrance conjuring images and memories or childhood, holiday family gatherings and sweet delectables bursting with luscious flavor sizzling on a stove top.
Freshly sliced granny smith apples topped with butter and cream, and piquant, mouth-watering ground cinnamon complemented by potent, sugary clove characterize the top notes of this fragrance.
These elements soon surrender to a middle note of soft, bittersweet almond and crisp apple. The scent completes with a base note characterized by hints of flaky, buttery and slightly salty pie crust, alluring, luscious vanilla and creamy rich caramel.
Opening with a citrus/fruity explosion of succulent orange, sugary, ruby grape, almond-like sweet and tart cherry, and tangy, slightly woody raspberry, the elements of this invigorating top note soon stream into a calming floral heart note bouquet of leafy, rosy, fresh lavender, which then fades into a base note of woody pine and rich, alluring vanilla that completes this fragrance.
This fragrance is dominated by natural essences as exemplified in its top notes of green, woody cedar and balsamic, refreshing pine cone. A middle note soon follows characterized by sharp, hot clove and aromatic dried flowers. The scent finishes with a base note of earthy, mossy oak and sugary nuances.
The aromas of scrumptious meals and luscious (and fattening) desserts wafting from a holiday kitchen dominate this fragrance.
This subtle complex, sugary and spicy amalgam is comprised of warm, inviting cinnamon, potent, fruity and hot, clove, candy-like, creamy and buttery caramelized sugar and lush, honeyed vanilla.
This scent whispers to all who dare receive a message to indulge and enjoy now because “soon our troubles will be out of sight,” as go the lyrics of the holiday song, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.
This enticing fragrance truly captures the essence of winter and holiday memories that flicker deep within the mind’s eye and are reminiscent of wintry forests and the inviting comfort of home and hearth.
The scent opens with a top note hallmarked by fresh, piney and slightly smoky cypress, clean, balsamic pine and green and spicy apple.
A heart note soon follows comprised of green, dry fir balsam, minty, sharp eucalyptus herbs and salty, ozonic aquatic breeze. This memorable scent completes with a base note featuring tangy and woody-toned raspberry and sugary crystal sugar.
This superior diffusing system is perfect for scenting interiors spaces of up to 50,000 cubic feet. Although primarily geared to commercial enterprises, this diffuser is highly versatile and is also available in compact sizes that can work well in smaller home areas.
The Aroma Beam offers superior odor control solutions in the form of 30-day refill systems that come in two varieties; namely, our Scentsia Cartridges and our Squair Wafer refills. Constructed from sturdy, powder-coated steel, this diffuser system offers years of continuous and reliable service.
Also known as the Scent Styler, this HVAC atomizing diffuser system is potent and very easy for the average home owner to use. It is available in three application sizes, and its versatility represents the epitome of innovative and cutting edge technology.
This system controls malodors and greatly improves indoor air quality via an invisible dry vapor that floats evenly across any open space.
The Aroma One is an air freshening and odor-neutralizing system that annihilates airborne odors and simultaneously offers superior, linear, aroma enrichment for any small space, particularly but not exclusively for restroom malodors.
Although it was originally designed for commercial bathrooms, this diffuser has proven itself to be effective for the elimination of pet malodors in private homes and residences.
Some of its advantages include: a modern design with optimal air flow; the fact that no adapter is necessary because only one “D” battery is used, and it has three smart switch settings which include: Continuous (30-day) operation, Linear (30-days) and Extended (60-day) cycles.
In conclusion
Our Seasonal fragrance refills last 30 days and contain the purest fragrance oils that meet every environmental and quality standard. If you’re looking to enhance the mood of your home or business throughout the Holidays, this unique line of scents has been specifically created by our master perfumers to do just that!
Wishing everyone a festive, spirited and aromatic Holiday Season!
Final thought about the meaning of home: Home is not a place…it’s a feeling- Anonymous
Photo Credits: Pixabay
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