A main
Holiday season of a year is here. TV channels begun to offer us never ending movies
about cosy feeling and frustration connected with them. And almost every movie
has at least one mention about scent environment connected to events. I set a
question to me, is it cinnamon, apples and eggnog the only possible expression
for our scent perception for holidays.
It is
clear, that we connect good feeling with food and safe environment. Far away
from rush for survival embracing us every single working day. Knowledge about
aromatherapy teaches us, that scent is also a substantial condition for overall
wellness feeling. A good prove for that is almost endless possibility of
recognizing and memorizing thousand of scents (as we do with colours and melodies).
Are
holidays only well known because of a story and is it possible to elevate a
value only with travelling and socialization with other people? In my opinion,
the main point is elevation of our community awareness. All the other
manifestations are facade. The fact that holidays are incorporated in all known
cultures shows the importance of organized human interaction. For many reasons
intimacy in our relations is very delicate and can not express all faces of our
social needs.
Scent
sensation has many survival related properties (detection of poor food, poisonous
gases, etc.). Social importance of scent is recognized unconscionably. Research
and studies were executed and without doubt, great impact of scent on our
behaviour, was proved. Aromatherapy become a science. But, can we use these
results for other applications?
As I begun
to work on fragrances my view of a branch was quite limited. Our products were
sold mostly for scenting of cosmetics and toiletries. Later we begun to serve
applications related to all kind of chemicals and other sometimes quite odd
applications. Later we noticed, that our output is very strong related to specific
seasons. Awareness of importance of holidays smell was expressed trough variations
in sales.
We ask us a
question what a real scent of holidays is. Surprisingly the answer was not unique.
On first sight Holidays scents are quite defined. Christmas scent (food and
nature), Valentine scents (flower and exotic scents) etc. are related to usual activities
around them. If we explore deeper diversity of applied scent is much broader. If
we make a walk with “nose open” subtle differences of overall scent impression
become obvious.
Not only
globally recognised “scent pictures” are present. If we travel, we can also
detect culture dependent differences. Most of them are at least interesting, if
not pushing us to exploration of new horizons. It is easy to find scent difference,
but on the other side find acceptable to all cultures. Perfumers can find creational
impulses for designing new sensations with culturally different scents. Its
looks like composing ethnical music in foreign environment. Unconscious we
adopt some sounds from this environment and transform it into new music. Same
is for scent creation.
What is holidays scent? In my opinion it is a conglomerate of foundation related to execution of rituals connected with holiday and points set with conscious choice of scents applied. It is important how we design the scent impression of living spaces, as our individual “scent footprint” to feel us good and make our community to feel the same. I am sure that we have great possibilities to improve overall scent impression trough collaboration globally. Not because of “globalisation”, but by recognizing possibilities of enrichment with different worlds scents. Holidays should smell pleasant and different!
