All Christmas Puddingy

There’s no escaping it. Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat and we all want Christmas pudding BUT what should Christmas smell like?

Drum roll please for our top five Natural Christmas smells: The Essence of Christmas.

We have Clove, Cinnamon, Lovage and Cocoa (L 2 R) from Wikipedia

1. Oil Of Lovage. This European native and rather unremarkable looking herb produces an essential oil that smells really fruity. It can pass its self off as good old-fashioned christmas pudding while filling the air with an aroma that can help to increase blood flow to the kidneys.   A Chrissy pudding and detox all in one? Too good to be true!
2. Cinnamon. Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without cinnamon whether it be in Gingerbread, in your pot-pourri or as a spicy addition to your Christmas roast.  Cinnamon has long been treasured for its potent antioxidant properties and its ability to relieve the inevitable toothache is sure to come in handy when the lollies run out.
3. Sweet Orange.  The Citrus Sinensis is bound to lift your spirits over the festive season as it is jam packed full of vitamin C goodness. This essential oil may also help you to keep your house clean over the festive period as it is very high in the de-greasing active d-limonine. Home help straight from the tree!
4. Clove. The rich, spicy aroma of clove has haunted many an English Sunday School in the run up to Christmas (we used to make Orange and Clove pomanders which I just loved!)  Cloves are another useful natural painkiller (to be taken before opening the credit card bill) as well as being a good cure for indigestion.  Cloves do all of this thanks to their high content of Eugenol (which also accounts for its smell) – Eugenol can be toxic in high quantities so go easy!
5. Chocolate. Oh the blissful aroma of cocoa, how could we live without it! OK, so Chocolate isn’t an essential oil but it does have an essence!  Cocoa is produced from the seeds of the cacao tree and is loved for its rich flavour and its mood enhancing qualities. Chocolate really does make you feel good due to the presence of flavinoids which help to bring on an endorphin rush.  Just when you thought you’d had enough of the in-laws, reach for the cocoa and tranquility will reign again!

OK, so this is a very European version of Christmas and yup I didn’t even get to the Ginger, the sage and onion (stuffing), the sugar (candy canes), the new eau de toilette  or the smell of burning coming off those credit cards but no matter. Christmas is a season for sensory overload. Have fun, take care and put your credit card in the freezer NOW.