Aromas of Christmas
Christmas for me is always associated with aroma.
When I look back at childhood Christmases, it's the smells I remember.
In the days leading up to Christmas, it was the wonderful rich, spicey smells of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger wafting from the kitchen, promising delights to come.
And then, of course, about a week before Christmas, the fresh crisp outdoor smell of the pine of the Christmas tree followed, on Christmas morning, by the tangy citrus aroma from the orange or tangerine hidden in the toe of my stocking.
Nowadays, with synthetic Christmas trees growing more popular and with real trees being sprayed with preservative to prevent the needles from falling off in our dry, centrally heated homes, the wonderful resinous pine aroma of the Christmas tree is becoming a fading memory.
Christmases just aren't quite the same.
It is still possible, however, to re-capture this nostalgia with the use of essential oils - natural oils obtained from plants.
Essential oils with aromas particularly suited for the Christmas season include:
Here are a few simple ideas and recipes to help your recreate that aromatic Christmas.
That Christmas-tree smell To enhance the smell of your Christmas tree, simply spray your tree (real or synthetic) with a mixture of 300 ml water containing 6 drops of pine essential oil, or put a few drops of the oil on a piece of absorbent material and place it round the base of the tree (cotton wool is a nice touch as its resembles snow).
An alternative idea is to put a few pine cones in a plastic bag containing cotton wool to which you have added 2-4 drops of pine essential oil.
Seal the bag and leave overnight.
In the morning, the pine cones will be infused with the smell of pine.
Either arrange them around the base of the tree, or place them in a bowl near the main entrance to the house, so that visitors can benefit from the nostalgic aroma.
Aromatic Christmas cards and wrapping paper Why not give nostalgia for Christmas? You can use the same infusion method mentioned above to give your Christmas cards a seasonal touch.
Place your cards in a plastic bag containing cotton wool to which you have added 2-4 drops of your chosen essential oil.
Seal the bag and leave overnight.
The next morning, your cards will be infused with the essential oil.
Simply write them, seal them in their envelopes and post.
The aromas will add another dimension to the opening to the card.
You can use the same method to infuse your wrapping paper - put it in a bag containing the essential oils, seal and leave until just before you want to use it.
Seasonal aromas for the whole house One of the simplest ways to introduce essential oils and their wonderful aromas into your home is to spot drops of your chosen oil or oils around the house on a piece of absorbent material placed near or on radiators.
Alternatively, for the evening, you could add one drop of your chosen essential oil to the melted wax around a candle flame, close to the wick.
Bay, mandarin and pine are good choices for use with candles.
Room sprays are another simple solution.
Simply add 4 drops of pine, 2 drops of mandarin and 1 drop of cinnamon to 300 ml of water and spray throughout to give your home that warm seasonal welcome.
Another blend that works well is 4 drops of mandarin, 1 drop of geranium and 1 drop of cinnamon in 600 ml of water.
Frankincense and myrrh, traditionally given by the Wise Men to the baby Jesus, are also available as essential oils.
Both have wonderfully rich aromas, for that added seasonal touch, and are best used in blends of essential oils.
Decorations Oranges studded with cloves are classic Christmas decorations in many parts of the world.
These decorations are wonderfully aromatic and have the advantage of being long-lasting, due to the natural preservative properties of the cloves.
The aroma can be enhanced by first rolling the orange in clove, orange and cinnamon essential oils.
The same idea can be used with other citrus fruit - why not try mandarin, lemon, lime or grapefruit clove balls? Spice up your cooking Most of our Christmas recipes include spices, such as cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.
Most of these spices are available only in dried form and can loose some of their aroma with time.
However, these can be boosted with the use of a drop of the appropriate essential oil - simply add the oil to your cooking during the preparation phase.
Also try adding 1 or 2 drops of orange or lemon essential oil to your mince pie mix.
The combination of citrus and spices works deliciously.
Mulled wine Another Christmas special to shake off that winter chill is mulled wine, and here essential oils can be used in place of the usual spices.
Blend 1 drop each of cinnamon and clove and 2 drops each of orange and mandarin in 2 tablespoons of honey.
Slowly heat 1 litre of red wine in a non-metallic pan, add the flavoured honey and stir well until the wine starts to bubble.
Take off the heat and serve.
Aromatic gifts Fragranced gifts are always popular and, with the wide availability of essential oils, easy to make.
You can find a few ideas for simple, but creative and unique Christmas gifts.
So, why not spice up your Christmas this year and revel in the nostalgia of Christmases past.
Acknowledgement I am grateful to The Fragrant Pharmacy by Valerie Ann Worwood for some of the ideas/recipes included in this article.
Sources Bonar A.
Herbs.
A complete guide to their cultivation and use.
Club Book associates, 1985.
Worwood VA.
The Fragrant Pharmacy.
Bantam Books, London 1996
When I look back at childhood Christmases, it's the smells I remember.
In the days leading up to Christmas, it was the wonderful rich, spicey smells of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger wafting from the kitchen, promising delights to come.
And then, of course, about a week before Christmas, the fresh crisp outdoor smell of the pine of the Christmas tree followed, on Christmas morning, by the tangy citrus aroma from the orange or tangerine hidden in the toe of my stocking.
Nowadays, with synthetic Christmas trees growing more popular and with real trees being sprayed with preservative to prevent the needles from falling off in our dry, centrally heated homes, the wonderful resinous pine aroma of the Christmas tree is becoming a fading memory.
Christmases just aren't quite the same.
It is still possible, however, to re-capture this nostalgia with the use of essential oils - natural oils obtained from plants.
Essential oils with aromas particularly suited for the Christmas season include:
- Pine
- Cedarwood
- Mandarin
- Orange
- Tangerine
- Nutmeg
- Cinnamon
- Ginger
- Clove
- Bay
- Frankincense
- Myrrh
Here are a few simple ideas and recipes to help your recreate that aromatic Christmas.
That Christmas-tree smell To enhance the smell of your Christmas tree, simply spray your tree (real or synthetic) with a mixture of 300 ml water containing 6 drops of pine essential oil, or put a few drops of the oil on a piece of absorbent material and place it round the base of the tree (cotton wool is a nice touch as its resembles snow).
An alternative idea is to put a few pine cones in a plastic bag containing cotton wool to which you have added 2-4 drops of pine essential oil.
Seal the bag and leave overnight.
In the morning, the pine cones will be infused with the smell of pine.
Either arrange them around the base of the tree, or place them in a bowl near the main entrance to the house, so that visitors can benefit from the nostalgic aroma.
Aromatic Christmas cards and wrapping paper Why not give nostalgia for Christmas? You can use the same infusion method mentioned above to give your Christmas cards a seasonal touch.
Place your cards in a plastic bag containing cotton wool to which you have added 2-4 drops of your chosen essential oil.
Seal the bag and leave overnight.
The next morning, your cards will be infused with the essential oil.
Simply write them, seal them in their envelopes and post.
The aromas will add another dimension to the opening to the card.
You can use the same method to infuse your wrapping paper - put it in a bag containing the essential oils, seal and leave until just before you want to use it.
Seasonal aromas for the whole house One of the simplest ways to introduce essential oils and their wonderful aromas into your home is to spot drops of your chosen oil or oils around the house on a piece of absorbent material placed near or on radiators.
Alternatively, for the evening, you could add one drop of your chosen essential oil to the melted wax around a candle flame, close to the wick.
Bay, mandarin and pine are good choices for use with candles.
Room sprays are another simple solution.
Simply add 4 drops of pine, 2 drops of mandarin and 1 drop of cinnamon to 300 ml of water and spray throughout to give your home that warm seasonal welcome.
Another blend that works well is 4 drops of mandarin, 1 drop of geranium and 1 drop of cinnamon in 600 ml of water.
Frankincense and myrrh, traditionally given by the Wise Men to the baby Jesus, are also available as essential oils.
Both have wonderfully rich aromas, for that added seasonal touch, and are best used in blends of essential oils.
Decorations Oranges studded with cloves are classic Christmas decorations in many parts of the world.
These decorations are wonderfully aromatic and have the advantage of being long-lasting, due to the natural preservative properties of the cloves.
The aroma can be enhanced by first rolling the orange in clove, orange and cinnamon essential oils.
The same idea can be used with other citrus fruit - why not try mandarin, lemon, lime or grapefruit clove balls? Spice up your cooking Most of our Christmas recipes include spices, such as cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.
Most of these spices are available only in dried form and can loose some of their aroma with time.
However, these can be boosted with the use of a drop of the appropriate essential oil - simply add the oil to your cooking during the preparation phase.
Also try adding 1 or 2 drops of orange or lemon essential oil to your mince pie mix.
The combination of citrus and spices works deliciously.
Mulled wine Another Christmas special to shake off that winter chill is mulled wine, and here essential oils can be used in place of the usual spices.
Blend 1 drop each of cinnamon and clove and 2 drops each of orange and mandarin in 2 tablespoons of honey.
Slowly heat 1 litre of red wine in a non-metallic pan, add the flavoured honey and stir well until the wine starts to bubble.
Take off the heat and serve.
Aromatic gifts Fragranced gifts are always popular and, with the wide availability of essential oils, easy to make.
You can find a few ideas for simple, but creative and unique Christmas gifts.
So, why not spice up your Christmas this year and revel in the nostalgia of Christmases past.
Acknowledgement I am grateful to The Fragrant Pharmacy by Valerie Ann Worwood for some of the ideas/recipes included in this article.
Sources Bonar A.
Herbs.
A complete guide to their cultivation and use.
Club Book associates, 1985.
Worwood VA.
The Fragrant Pharmacy.
Bantam Books, London 1996
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