Whether it’s Christmas tree shopping with your family, baking sweet treats, or adorning your home with seasonal decor, the winter holiday season evokes many traditions. From the earthy and piney fragrance of a freshly cut Christmas tree to the sweet and cooling smell of a candy cane, scents have a powerful way of bringing back fond memories of your childhood, along with comfort.
There’s a biological reason why scents have such a powerful impact on us. The olfactory system –responsible for detecting scents– is directly connected to our limbic system, the part of the brain that controls emotions and memories.
“We really don’t start developing memories until after ages five through six, but certain smells can trigger memories even prior to that” Mrs. Alyson Frare, a health teacher here at Wakeland. This psychological phenomena, paired with the proximity between the two systems, allows for a single whiff of cinnamon or freshly baked cookies to transport us back to a fond memory from our past.
Scents offer more than flashbacks. With the rise of aromatherapy and products marketed towards health and wellness utilizing scent, certain fragrances have started to become known for their health benefits –besides just smelling good. For example, according to UChealth.org, the scent of peppermint has the capability to relieve headaches, indigestion, along with muscle and joint pain.
Everybody knows Bath and Body Works, the body care company that dominates the fragrance industry –and our vanity shelves–. With a revenue of $7.4 billion, it has become America’s go-to store for gifting loved ones, as well as treating yourself. The company has earned a spot on the 2024 Fortune 500 list of largest United States companies, and it’s no surprise. Your best loved scents can be stuffed into a body mist, candle, soap, and so much more, making it appealing to customers across the country. Some holiday favorites include Winter Candy Apple, Vanilla Bean Noel, and Twisted Peppermint. “I always like Christmas and fall scents more than the flowery summer ones because they feel comfier,” Says Kylie Mann, a student at Wakeland High School.
Scents play a powerful role in shaping our daily experiences, whether through therapeutic effects, nostalgic memories, or simply their pleasant aromas. From the comforting fragrance of a Christmas cookie-scented candle to the freshness of peppermint soap, these smells do more than fill the air—they trigger emotions, memories, and psychological responses.
The next time you indulge in a familiar scent, take a moment to consider: how much of what we feel is rooted in the scents that surround us?