As humans, our sense of smell plays a large role in our everyday lives, whether we realize it or not. Scents have the ability to change our mood, change how we interact with others and even play a large role in our ability to recall memories. In fact, studies find that scent is so closely linked to memory, that people can remember a scent with 65% accuracy after one year, where visual memory drops to nearly 50% after only a few months. This is because when we smell a scent it goes straight to the brain’s olfactory bulb, which is directly connected to the amygdala and the hippocampus. All technical terms aside, scents are oftentimes linked by the brain with memories. Maybe it’s the smell of your mum’s cooking, a certain flower or a perfume; certain scents can bring you right back to a memory as if it happened just yesterday. Scents have the ability to change your mood. You can use scents to your advantage to spike your hygge holiday spirit and make your house smell amazing for Christmas.

Scented candles

Scented candles are a wonderful way to make your home look and smell festive and inviting for Christmas. Having lit candles around your home will most definitely add to your hygge vibe. The warm glow will make rooms feel cosy and comfortable. Not only do candles look and feel homely, but they also smell great. Almost all stores sell scented candles these days. If you have a local candle maker near you, even better! Scents like warm vanilla, cinnamon apple, sugar plum and peppermint are some Christmas favorites.

Greenery

Another way to make your home smell amazing for Christmas is with fresh greenery. Use of a freshly cut fir tree, a fresh wreath or some branches from an aromatic evergreen are great ways to keep your hygge home smelling and feeling joyful. Look for some of the best smelling evergreens, which are the Scotch pine, Douglas fir, white spruce and Noble fir trees.

Small sprigs of pine will look festive tied to your gifts and if you hang up Christmas stockings you can tuck a scented pinecone or a stick of cinnamon inside.

If you want to make the rest of your house to smell amazing for Christmas

It is easy to make a Christmas potpourri.

dry orange slices on a parchment covered   baking sheet in the oven.

Leave some dry pinecones in a zip up bag with a few drops of vanilla essence or some drops of essential oil for about two weeks.

Add sprigs of dried herbs such as sage, rosemary and thyme

add cinnamon sticks and cloves.

Just put a small quantity of your potpourri in some pretty dishes and leave around the house.

Essential oils such as lavender and peppermint on your pillow will help you to relax at night.

Look for winter scented soap for the bathroom.

Home baking

Last, but not least, baking homemade holiday treats always keeps your home filled with sweet and savory scents. Not only is baking and cooking seasonal treats a perfect hygge activity, but it also ensures your home smells good, naturally. If you have any traditional Christmas family recipes, those will work well. Or start a sweet-smelling traditional recipe of your own with your loved ones.

There are certain foods that tend to soothe and comfort us, especially around the winter months. Comfort foods like stews, casseroles, pies, homemade breads and baked goods bring a sense of well-being and can elevate mood, especially on a long and cold winter day. Curling up by the fire with a warm bowl of soup and a cosy blanket can transform your day just like that. So, get out the slow cooker and settle in for a hygge Christmas filled with comfort foods and treats.

No matter which route you take, keep your home smelling festive for a relaxing hygge holiday.