It’s December, and in many parts of the world, some form of holiday festivities are rolling out with anticipation of fun, food, decoration, celebration and gift giving.  There is always debate to which essential oils are most useful or capture the mood of tis season.

Well, depending on your memories, traditions, faith or focus for these holidays, there can be many choices and combinations of essential oils which might tickle the senses and open to different interpretation.  However, there are a few select oils which I think are a must, plus my rationale for these choices.

Pine, Balsam Fir, Black or Blue Spruce Essential Oil

If you grew up with that freshly cut Christmas tree proudly paraded in for a few weeks in and then dragged out with a trail of needles left behind, these essential oils may leave you with earthy memories of glitter and presents beneath.  For some, this is the ultimate aromatic symbol.  From a practical or therapeutic point, these are very warming oils which help to take the chill out of the cold winter if you are celebrating in the northern hemisphere.

Balsam Fir Branches

Cinnamon, Clove, Ginger, Nutmeg Essential oils

We are now wandering into the selections that spice up food memories.  What would the holidays be without gingerbread houses and cookies, eggnog dusted with cinnamon or nutmeg and clove to perk up that side of ham or umph to that pumpkin pie. These oils entrench memories of grandma’s baking and get those digestive juices going with just a whiff.

Cinnamon Leaf essential oil in front of the Cinnamon plant

Peppermint

Still on the subject of food, few are untouched by the vision and fresh aroma of a candy cane.  Those red and white striped mint sticks hanging off the tree have already been around for a few hundred years and are still just as popular today. Many stories exist as to how they came to exist such as to represent the shape of the shepherds crook, or to make it easy to hang from the tree.  The mint itself was thought to be a symbol of cool purification.  Being one of the best digestive aids, it likely was chosen to soothe the bloated discomfort of overindulgence. Regardless of how it started, the candy cane is a sweet, tasty treat which has cemented peppermint’s place in holiday history.

Peppermint essential oil in front of a peppermint plant

Orange, Tangerine

The last of the essential oil references to food is the timeless orange or clementine which found its way into many stockings. Once again, many theories abound as to the origin of why oranges were given as gifts, suffice to say, its hard to avoid one of these on the dinner table or some orange chocolate concoction.  Another sweet yet fresh and delightful natural treat for your senses.

Orange essential oil in front of an Orange tree

Vanilla

Nothing screams Christmas like shortbreads, pie crusts and cookies galore. No wonder vanilla is the most widely used and recognized aroma in the world.   Unfortunately, from a totally natural and essential oil perspective, pure vanilla absolute is prohibitively expensive and not really tasty for baking.  Benzoin is a natural resin found on the styrax tree native to Indonesia and Java.  It provides a soft vanilla like aroma but yet another one you don’t want to cook with as it is too bitter.  It’s also very inexpensive. These two natural options could be used to make candles, lotions or room sprays.   if you wanted to replicate the scent of baked goods but you will have to get the food grade natural or artificial extract to bake.  There are also strongly fragrant synthetic vanilla aromas.

A bottle of Benzoin in front of a Benzoin tree

Frankincense and Myrrh

On more of a religious note and biblical reference, these two oils hold a vaunted place in Christmas lore.  These precious resins (there were no essential oils during this time) along with gold were reputed to have been brought as gifts to the baby Jesus.  I would not use or recommend either of these for any food flavoring or enhancement….  No no no, they both taste terrible.  However, the myrrh was likely to help with wounds and general first aid while frankincense will have some spiritual and ceremonial connection.

A bottle of Myrrh in front of Myrrh resin

Now for a few combinations and suggestions

Peppermint, Frankincense, Myrrh for purification and ceremony

Vanilla, Orange and Cinnamon to replicate sweet baked good without the calories

Balsam Fir, Pine & Clove to freshen up that natural Christmas tree smell even if you don’t have one.

Cinnamon, Clove Pine & Peppermint in a diffuser to ward off nasty cold and flu germs ushered in with the guests that decide to stick around.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Joyous Kwanzaa, Feliz Navidad, Happy Holidays!

From all of us here at Nascent Naturals

Shop our Holiday Essential Oil Pack for a variety of festive oils – available all year long (we aren’t gonna question when you celebrate)

Holiday Essential Oil Pack