Christmas is such a sensory time of year, not just the twinkly lights and prettily wrapped gifts, but the smells of the season. They make you reminisce, smile and feel comforted as you make new memories.

To me, there is nothing like that fresh Christmas tree smell. I wish I could bottle this very specific sensation: walking down the stairs the day after putting the tree up, the smell of fresh pine greeting me as I go.

The tree seems to hold its scent for several days after putting it up, infusing the house with a brisk, pine and Frasier fir air. The dog always seems to gravitate toward the tree, and lies under one half of it, and I wonder if she too is taking in that smell, thinking that she can have the outside freshness of a tree and her warm house all in one.

With the lights all lit on the tree, warming the long winter nights, I can then grab my cup of steaming hot chocolate topped with as much whipped cream as I can fit and then sit by the fire. Warm aromas of cocoa and the crackle of the fire just can’t help but make you calm, quiet and reflective. The fireplace is the heart of the home with the stockings hung with care. We wait for St. Nicholas “soon to be there” and wonder what are in the gifts tucked under the tree.

Christmas brings cookies too. The baking days fill the house with the scents of vanilla, sugar, almonds, cherries and more. It’s hard to resist eating the cookies right from the oven as that baking deliciousness fills your nose. Biscotti and Candy Canes tempt the entire household.

Candy Canes don’t have a holiday scent to them but peppermint certainly does. The season brings peppermint candles, and peppermint teas and peppermint candies. An invigorating scent to help clear your mind after a long day of shopping or wrapping. And fat-free to boot! If you bake some peppermint candy into your cookies, you’ve really got a winner.

Then step outside, because the night is cold and crisp. The neighbor’s fireplace is going, the fragrant chimney smoke fills the air. The trees are surrounding you, the icicles dangle, the stars are brighter than ever and you feel almost as if Santa himself will fly by any moment.

It’s the holidays; enjoy the natural beauty scents — and a merry one to you! Tell us your favorite holiday scents!

– Diane Artzberger, TheBeautyAlchemist

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