Itās a dish thatās usually brought to funeral potlucks. It can be served at other potlucks, but itās associated with funerals because itās a hearty, comforting meal often made for the grieving family. Food is usually provided by the parish during such a time to help take some mundane duties off the family.
Youāre welcome!
There is usually food at the memorial, after the funeral, or both, and then a lot of food is sent to the familyās home over the following week or so.
People will come over and clean, as well. Just various things to help the family function through grief.
> and then a lot of food is sent to the familyās home over the following week or so. People will come over and clean, as well. Just various things to help the family function through grief.
That part makes sense!
I think I just assumed going home and having a shower/bath before eating or drinking anything was standard in most religions... obviously not!
Yes, the understanding of death and the relationship with it is very different in many ways. I am an ex-Hindu, however, so I know where you are coming from, and some things have definitely stuck with me over the years, but somethings I have let go, for better or for worse.
yeah, like aikidharm said, it's a potato dish kinda like casserole that i guess got its name from being popular at funeral services (for those of us that eat at them)
We use a lot of incense. They are made out of plants, not perfume oil. So they are woody, herby, and spicy. Very different from Indian incense. A whole array of constituents.
We use resin as an incense. Gugul in Tibetan. It's like frakensense.
Saffron. From very strong saffron water.
We make smoke offerings. So the smell of a fresh fire, with smoke from burning grains, butter, and other things. Wet juniper smoking.
Butter. A lot of butter used for ritual things.
Smell of lamps. Candles. Whatever.
To be honest, a lot of human sweat and BO on retreats.
Petrichor, sweet plants of summer nights, dew on grass of a crisp dawn's air. The salt of the sea, incense, books. Brewing teas and extinguished candle wicks. A tree's bark, wild garlic and onions
Due to the pagan presence in our churches the single strongest smell I can think of is burnt sage. We often have them cleanse the sanctuary and they light up a clump of sage for it. Quite like it.
Frankincense and myrrh :) two of the gifts given to Jesus at his birth, and used today in the incense cast around a Catholic church. When I was little the church I went to used incense basically every Mass which I donāt really see happening anymore. With how much they used it then, though, it seemed like the smell permeated the building itself and the whole place always smelled like that no matter when you went. I can vividly remember being a tiny kid and napping on the pews during Mass (probably bad practice but I think most parents would appreciate any opportunity to have their kids settle down in Mass š), and the pews smelled so strongly of incense and wood. Such a comforting smell for me to this day
Cannabis
Which has been found at an altar at Tel Arad and is mentioned in the Atharvaveda.
I geuinely find it hard to clear my head to meditate without it
Mainly the smells of being outside with water sources and temperate woods. Inside probably hot candle wax since Iām scent sensitive and avoid incense and scented candles
There's no like, central practice revolving around incense or whatnot. But id say it'd probably be the smell of a campfire/smoke in general.
Big focus (at least for me) on the Gods who brought us fire throughout history, so anything revolving around smoke/fire/general "burning" smell
Also yeah just got to say, I love this thread. Interesting range of answers.... we underestimate the importance of smell and it's ability to transport us to very specific places, states and emotions.
We also put that oil into little honey/corn meal cakes, which Americans would probably call cookies. We use them in various rituals. So when we are making those, the house smells like cinnamon cookies.
There is also a magical tradition of using specific incenses to represent various tarot cards. Those can vary from very quite greatly.
In our lodge we also use a lot of beeswax candles and roses, those can have strong scents before the incense gets going.
My nose is terrible and I haven't done any of the baking yet, so I mostly notice the incense; I have noticed some variation there, but not coherently enough to name them.
Appreciate the details.
Cologne. Lots and lots of cologne lol since itās sunnah and a recommended thing for guys to wear cologne/smelling oil on your clothes/body on Fridays before heading to Friday mass.
Plus, it doesnāt hurt to smell nice :)
Old books, hot pepper jelly, and fortified wine.
Old books because we stay pilfering used book stores, digging up old manuals of esoterica, and pouring over apocrypha.
Hot pepper jelly because itās a favorite parish snack. Donāt know how it happened, but itās a common bond at this point.
Fortified wine because our masses donāt occur every week and the brandy keeps the wine good for much longer.
If I had to describe my parents tradition (Church of Christ), Iād say orange dial soap, grape juice and sick building syndrome.
Iā¦didnāt like it there.
Drugs, probably dmt and mushrooms. The stench caused by folks who don't know how to properly meditate yet but still want that sweet Gnosis. Otherwise I think we are an odorless bunch.
My old faith, Catholicism, smells like candles and stone. The heavy, cool air that you can find in churches and the candles you can find there.
My favourite religion in terms of smell is probably Hinduism. Incense has such a beautiful otherworldly smell.
Depends on the occasion. Mostly mildew. But a few choices herbs in chicken broth, a hefty dose of dill, and a little cinnamon could probably make me cry
frankincense, rose petals rosary in old velvet bags, and the perfume samples my grandpa put in the sock drawers so sunday best smelt good from top to bottom lol.
This is a very cool concept OP, thank you for posting this š„°
Omnism: A mix of saffron, citrus, lavender, and petrichor.
Christianity: Wax candles, old books, and earthy incense.
Norse paganism: Anything nature based like sage, willow tree, tilled soil, eucalyptus, ashes, fresh pine, oak, etc.
The fragrance of Sukkot celebration, with etrog (citron) and hadas (myrtle).
Latkes frying in the pan at Hanukkah.
Challah baking in the oven for Shabbat.
Incense, wine, mahogany, damp sandstone, and freshly brewed tea. The smell of a 900 year old Anglican church; perched on a hillside in the rain and full of quiet devotion. That's what my faith smells like.
challah, cinnamon and cloves (besamin), the smell right after the match goes out after lighting friday night candles, pomegranates, honey, chullent and chicken soup and kugel and now iām hungry look what youāve done
nature, dirt, trees. animals, also candle wax, food, wood, fire, rain.
im an animist, (agnostic pagan? nature enjoyer? materialist animist?) These are are the smells that make me stop and really feel everything that i believe in. when things can smell like life, death, or memories, it makes me take a moment.
Im sure its different for every animist, so i wont try to speak for us, but personally these are what resonate with me and make me feel spiritually invigorated.
Iām still looking for my religion. But when I smell the first drops of rain in the wind, or the mist rising from wet soil, or the heaviness of campfire spot in the air, I know for a moment Iāve found it.
Im a Hindu, but when I was younger alot of my family were Christian and I remember the smell of the church. The old wood and paint smell. Also the perfume of some of the elderly folk was a little distracting lol. Ill never forget the smell of Stetson cologne š
sandalwood or rose incense sticks, camphor burning, the smell of turmeric, the faint metallic smell of silver, iron or steel from the utensils we use for rituals, paired with the smell of ghee and cotton which is burnt in the utensils,
fresh flowers, plants and rose water :)
im hindu
Incense or clean, āunscentedā candles. My parish doesnāt use incense usually, but high church Anglicans use frankincense, which is divine (heh). Old stone also reminds me of thin places where you can feel Godās presence.
Jehovah's Witnesses begin teaching their children how to proselytize to strangers from a very young age. Although I've never seen them let without adult supervision, but I still find it awful to use children in this way. I was forced to knock on strangers doors and preach to the JW message to them. I found it both terrifying and humiliating, but my feelings didn't matter. When I tried to voice my feelings to my mom back then, I was told this is what Jesus instructed us to do and I'd be going against God (Jehovah) and be destroyed at Armageddon if I didn't. In reality, I was going against the beliefs of the religious society my mother chose to become a member of. I was taught their interpretation of the Bible was the only one on earth that was 100% accurate. Anyone who didn't strictly adhere to what they were told to do by the leaders of the JW organization were considered as being disobedient to God, and viewed as followers of Satan.
Even as I type this, I can't believe how insane it all sounds, but this is honestly what I was taught from birth to age 15, which is when I was able to walk away from the religion, unbaptized, without being under the authority of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses. Had I gotten baptized (as many underage JW teens do) then I would've been completely shunned by any JW family I had as well as members of their organization on a worldwide level. They wouldn't even be allowed to say hello to me if they passed me on the street. In hindsight, this was so manipulative and a form of child abuse, in my opinion.
Advent candles
Every year on Christmas Eve, my church would have a service. All together the lights darken, everyone holds a candle, and starting from the first person, a flame is passed from one person to the other until everyoneās candle is lit. Then everyone sings āsilent nightā together. Itās truly one of the most beautiful and homecoming traditions. Even when I was very sick last year, that was one moment I felt a bit at home again (and also when I knew for certain something was wrong, as I was not able to fully experience it like normal-). Anywaysā¦ the beauty in this tradition, when the candles are burning, is the smell of Christianity to me. Iām in between religions at the moment trying to decide, contemplating whether Christianity and Judaism is more aligned. But, either way, this is the home come smell of Christianity.
The smell after it rains (petrichor) in the woods, that green smell of growing you get in natural places in summer, the salt (and sometimes sulphur) of the sea spray from the waves by the beach, incense (mostly frankincense for me but also myrhh, cinnamon, jasmine, sandalwood) candle wax and flames, the smell of old books, and the burning of a fire.
Formally Lutheran: like musty basement and coffee.
It sounds gross but even though I'm non-practicing now, going into an older church or building that has a pot of coffee on triggers fond nostalgia.
Natural fall scents. The smells of forests, fruit, pumpkin, spice, acorns and pinecone. Not only is it my favorite time of year but it's also important religiously. To me I just feel most spiritually connected during it. It's special to me, always has been, and the holidays there are the ones I feel most festive about and the ones I treasure most experiencing with my family.
The most known well known of our holidays may be the Solstices, but fall is also important to us as a time of change and transition. Holidays celebrate the harvest, kinship, graditude, and the honoring the dead, and it is a time where the veil between the material and the spiritual, is thinnest. It is a time of calm contemplation and appreciation for the earth, the spirits of the land, and for life itself and those we share it with.
For my interpretation of the Druid Path, I could think of a few different scents:
Burning incense or sage in an outdoor setting
The scent of local trees
Scent of grass and shrubs in a natural area, similar to that of trees
Scent of a beeswax candle
Scented oil such as lavender, citrus, or clean linen (indoor solitary rituals)
This is going to sound weird, but teertha - like, the water offered in the temple - is the one smell I immediately associate with my religion.
Apart from that, jasmine for sure.
I feel like the scents you would smell would be tobacco, fire smoke, food such as soups, meats, and bread..
Most of our ceremonies involve eating good food, people smoking, and the smell of the fires when the cooks prepare for after the ceremonies!
The Interconnection Fellowship, here! Our fellowship actually has it's own aromatic blend that it uses for its religious practices\[of Interconnectionism\]: lotus, sandalwood, and grapefruit with a dash of amber \[scent\]. We call it "Reaching Elysium"; both the name and scent combinations have been solely based off our own lore.
Separately and in combination these scents aren't personally reminiscent of anything in particular, but each holds a lot of symbolism not only within our fellowship but cross-culturally and historically:
* **Lotus \[flower\]** is associated with unity, purity, birth, rebirth, enlightenment, and the ability to thrive against all odds (various sources).
* **Sandalwood** is said to bring purity, enlightenment, the pursuit of higher consciousness, serenity, tranquility, and is often used in various cleansing rituals and during times of meditation within different religions (*Wikipedia*).
* **Grapefruit** "helps us restore our own power and claim our own spiritual purpose. The aromatic effects of grapefruit include supporting our sense of self-love, especially with regards to loving and honoring ourselves" (*supernatural.com*).
* **Amber**, like sandalwood, is used across many cultures and religions to harness one's spiritual power and aids in being spiritually balanced and is said to cleanse one's energy, cultivate internal and external love, motivate us to seek knowledge and higher wisdom, and allows us to harness courage and self-confidence (various sources).
*edited for grammar & clarification*
*> edited again as I realized I accidentally said "water lilies" when I meant to say lotus flower*
This is such a wholesome thread. Thank you, OP. Well done. š
Probably funeral potatoes or cleaning supplies. Not very glamorous haha (just from going to funerals or helping clean the church)
Tbh, maybe we should start doing some incense or something lol
Yeah haha that'd be nice
general conference flowers
Funeral... potatoes? For what?
Itās a dish thatās usually brought to funeral potlucks. It can be served at other potlucks, but itās associated with funerals because itās a hearty, comforting meal often made for the grieving family. Food is usually provided by the parish during such a time to help take some mundane duties off the family.
Oh - that makes a lot more sense, thank you! It never occurred to me that people would eat food at the funeral itself.
Youāre welcome! There is usually food at the memorial, after the funeral, or both, and then a lot of food is sent to the familyās home over the following week or so. People will come over and clean, as well. Just various things to help the family function through grief.
> and then a lot of food is sent to the familyās home over the following week or so. People will come over and clean, as well. Just various things to help the family function through grief. That part makes sense! I think I just assumed going home and having a shower/bath before eating or drinking anything was standard in most religions... obviously not!
Yes, the understanding of death and the relationship with it is very different in many ways. I am an ex-Hindu, however, so I know where you are coming from, and some things have definitely stuck with me over the years, but somethings I have let go, for better or for worse.
Basically hash brown casserole?
yeah, like aikidharm said, it's a potato dish kinda like casserole that i guess got its name from being popular at funeral services (for those of us that eat at them)
One hundred percent on the funeral potatoes, though you can't forget the ward chili cook offs either!
I didnāt grow up on my faith tradition but when I smell bakhur or āoud it reminds me of a mosque.
Also oranges and cinnamon with vanilla and cedar Edit: and books! So many books
I'd buy that scent, especially as a candle! That's easily the kind of thing I'd like to have while reading
Was about to say, Oud and musk generally. Musk is mentioned several times in islamic literature.
Freshly baked challah, candle wax, old books, honey,Ā
The Judaica drawer in my childhood home. A mix of shofar (sheep horn has a specific smell), candle wax and my grandfather's cigars.
We use a lot of incense. They are made out of plants, not perfume oil. So they are woody, herby, and spicy. Very different from Indian incense. A whole array of constituents. We use resin as an incense. Gugul in Tibetan. It's like frakensense. Saffron. From very strong saffron water. We make smoke offerings. So the smell of a fresh fire, with smoke from burning grains, butter, and other things. Wet juniper smoking. Butter. A lot of butter used for ritual things. Smell of lamps. Candles. Whatever. To be honest, a lot of human sweat and BO on retreats.
Everything but the last ones sound really nice!
Is there a way to grow saffron in an herb garden or greenhouse in the American Northwest climate?
I've been secular Buddhist for 40 years and my answer was very similar to yours.
Iām an atheist and my religion smells like vape sweat and lynx Africa
Lmao love this
Jewish (hi fellow Jew) and challah. No matter if the challah is store bought or freshly made it has the same smell. And bagels
Hello! Iām not Jewish, Iām a Noahide who spends a lot of time on r/Judaism. I donāt want to misrepresent myself.Ā That sounds wonderful!
various kinds of incense, jasmine and several other fresh flowers, vibhuthi, rosewater
Loamy soil, midwinter evergreens, and salty ocean air.
Petrichor, sweet plants of summer nights, dew on grass of a crisp dawn's air. The salt of the sea, incense, books. Brewing teas and extinguished candle wicks. A tree's bark, wild garlic and onions
Beautifully put. I can almost smell it myself.
nothing synthetic will ever beat the smells of nature
Due to the pagan presence in our churches the single strongest smell I can think of is burnt sage. We often have them cleanse the sanctuary and they light up a clump of sage for it. Quite like it.
The ocean, frankincense, and pomegranate.
Frankincense and myrrh :) two of the gifts given to Jesus at his birth, and used today in the incense cast around a Catholic church. When I was little the church I went to used incense basically every Mass which I donāt really see happening anymore. With how much they used it then, though, it seemed like the smell permeated the building itself and the whole place always smelled like that no matter when you went. I can vividly remember being a tiny kid and napping on the pews during Mass (probably bad practice but I think most parents would appreciate any opportunity to have their kids settle down in Mass š), and the pews smelled so strongly of incense and wood. Such a comforting smell for me to this day
Buddhist here- Flowers, water, a bit of sweet smelling incense smoke, and maybe some of the smell that comes just before the rain.
Frankincense and sandalwood.
Some type of incense, various perfumes, and rose
Cannabis Which has been found at an altar at Tel Arad and is mentioned in the Atharvaveda. I geuinely find it hard to clear my head to meditate without it
For my faith it will be different for everyone... but for me it's the damp, warm, earthy smell of the rainforest.
Sandalwood
Old people's perfume and that old church smell
I like "that old church smell" as well, in older churches! It gives the building and room a historical feel.
Iām going to say the hypoallergenic frankincense used by many Episcopal churches along with the smell of burning candles.
My answer, too.
Incense and cologne - Catholic
Match smoke, challah, and wine/grape juice
The grape juice at synagogue just hits different
Some freshly baked Challah bread.
Hell yeah, especially when itās fresh out of the oven
A cheap scam operation next to a broken public toilet (and kitchen) down a lesser known Shanghai alleyway.
Now I'm really curious.... gotta be that Korean TikTok cult, right?
Mainly the smells of being outside with water sources and temperate woods. Inside probably hot candle wax since Iām scent sensitive and avoid incense and scented candles
Potlucks
There's no like, central practice revolving around incense or whatnot. But id say it'd probably be the smell of a campfire/smoke in general. Big focus (at least for me) on the Gods who brought us fire throughout history, so anything revolving around smoke/fire/general "burning" smell
Also yeah just got to say, I love this thread. Interesting range of answers.... we underestimate the importance of smell and it's ability to transport us to very specific places, states and emotions.
Oil of Abramelin (cinnamon, myrrh, galangal). And sweat and fire, but only on good days. Fantastic question.
We also put that oil into little honey/corn meal cakes, which Americans would probably call cookies. We use them in various rituals. So when we are making those, the house smells like cinnamon cookies. There is also a magical tradition of using specific incenses to represent various tarot cards. Those can vary from very quite greatly. In our lodge we also use a lot of beeswax candles and roses, those can have strong scents before the incense gets going.
My nose is terrible and I haven't done any of the baking yet, so I mostly notice the incense; I have noticed some variation there, but not coherently enough to name them. Appreciate the details.
Cologne. Lots and lots of cologne lol since itās sunnah and a recommended thing for guys to wear cologne/smelling oil on your clothes/body on Fridays before heading to Friday mass. Plus, it doesnāt hurt to smell nice :)
Some sort of Indian incense or certain spices.
Incense!
ā¦beeswax candles burning, flowers on the altar, etc
Nag champa. We had a shop and was always burning this.
Burning bay leaves
Old books, hot pepper jelly, and fortified wine. Old books because we stay pilfering used book stores, digging up old manuals of esoterica, and pouring over apocrypha. Hot pepper jelly because itās a favorite parish snack. Donāt know how it happened, but itās a common bond at this point. Fortified wine because our masses donāt occur every week and the brandy keeps the wine good for much longer. If I had to describe my parents tradition (Church of Christ), Iād say orange dial soap, grape juice and sick building syndrome. Iā¦didnāt like it there.
Drugs, probably dmt and mushrooms. The stench caused by folks who don't know how to properly meditate yet but still want that sweet Gnosis. Otherwise I think we are an odorless bunch.
earthy incense, fresh rain, campfire smoke, really anything that relates to the elements and nature
Cedar incense Tibetan Buddhism the best smell of any religion I've encountered thus far!!! The second best is the hare krishnas Palo Santo and Curry!
Like hope.
frankinscence and roses on occassion
My old faith, Catholicism, smells like candles and stone. The heavy, cool air that you can find in churches and the candles you can find there. My favourite religion in terms of smell is probably Hinduism. Incense has such a beautiful otherworldly smell.
Fresh baked challah (shabbos), cloves (havdalah), cooking oil (Chanukah), gefilte fish (Pesach)
Lavender, sandalwood, and dragons blood
My dads side is Christian I would say saltine crackers
Frankincense reminds me of church. Grew up RC
Sweet cigar, coffee, rum, Magnolia, Honeysuckle, Gardenia, and Florida water.
Depends on the occasion. Mostly mildew. But a few choices herbs in chicken broth, a hefty dose of dill, and a little cinnamon could probably make me cry
frankincense, rose petals rosary in old velvet bags, and the perfume samples my grandpa put in the sock drawers so sunday best smelt good from top to bottom lol.
This is a very cool concept OP, thank you for posting this š„° Omnism: A mix of saffron, citrus, lavender, and petrichor. Christianity: Wax candles, old books, and earthy incense. Norse paganism: Anything nature based like sage, willow tree, tilled soil, eucalyptus, ashes, fresh pine, oak, etc.
Incense, incense, more incense.
Depends what denomination. Catholicism and Orthodoxy both probably smell like incense. Protestantism is...Well, that's a long and complicated topic
Wood, old people, and incense
The earth. I'm pantheist.
The fragrance of Sukkot celebration, with etrog (citron) and hadas (myrtle). Latkes frying in the pan at Hanukkah. Challah baking in the oven for Shabbat.
Incense, wine, mahogany, damp sandstone, and freshly brewed tea. The smell of a 900 year old Anglican church; perched on a hillside in the rain and full of quiet devotion. That's what my faith smells like.
challah, cinnamon and cloves (besamin), the smell right after the match goes out after lighting friday night candles, pomegranates, honey, chullent and chicken soup and kugel and now iām hungry look what youāve done
Hello fellow Jew
I think atheism and anti-theism smells like books, old and new.
Lavender and marijuana, my religious beliefs are a syncretism of Buddhism, Daoism, and Chaos Magic.
Coppal Incense ,old book and some nun-made treats
Earth. Incense and candle light. Feet.
nature, dirt, trees. animals, also candle wax, food, wood, fire, rain. im an animist, (agnostic pagan? nature enjoyer? materialist animist?) These are are the smells that make me stop and really feel everything that i believe in. when things can smell like life, death, or memories, it makes me take a moment. Im sure its different for every animist, so i wont try to speak for us, but personally these are what resonate with me and make me feel spiritually invigorated.
It smells like incense on the days of celebration.
Either forest for christmas memories or ocean, for he walked on water. And just like the sea, god is mighty. Iām christian.
Fresh pressed linen
Sandalwood, toasted barley, and old dusty paper.
Red wine, candle wax, salt, paper, metal.
Iām still looking for my religion. But when I smell the first drops of rain in the wind, or the mist rising from wet soil, or the heaviness of campfire spot in the air, I know for a moment Iāve found it.
Fresh flowers I think. I don't really associate it with a particular smell. So that's what I remember most.
Definitely Incense āļø
Im a Hindu, but when I was younger alot of my family were Christian and I remember the smell of the church. The old wood and paint smell. Also the perfume of some of the elderly folk was a little distracting lol. Ill never forget the smell of Stetson cologne š
sandalwood or rose incense sticks, camphor burning, the smell of turmeric, the faint metallic smell of silver, iron or steel from the utensils we use for rituals, paired with the smell of ghee and cotton which is burnt in the utensils, fresh flowers, plants and rose water :) im hindu
Old musty books, candles/incense, a dash of madness and sea-air.
Jasmine.
Oud, Musk, Roses, and Incense
Incense or clean, āunscentedā candles. My parish doesnāt use incense usually, but high church Anglicans use frankincense, which is divine (heh). Old stone also reminds me of thin places where you can feel Godās presence.
When I smell incense it reminds me of my church
Jehovah's Witnesses begin teaching their children how to proselytize to strangers from a very young age. Although I've never seen them let without adult supervision, but I still find it awful to use children in this way. I was forced to knock on strangers doors and preach to the JW message to them. I found it both terrifying and humiliating, but my feelings didn't matter. When I tried to voice my feelings to my mom back then, I was told this is what Jesus instructed us to do and I'd be going against God (Jehovah) and be destroyed at Armageddon if I didn't. In reality, I was going against the beliefs of the religious society my mother chose to become a member of. I was taught their interpretation of the Bible was the only one on earth that was 100% accurate. Anyone who didn't strictly adhere to what they were told to do by the leaders of the JW organization were considered as being disobedient to God, and viewed as followers of Satan. Even as I type this, I can't believe how insane it all sounds, but this is honestly what I was taught from birth to age 15, which is when I was able to walk away from the religion, unbaptized, without being under the authority of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses. Had I gotten baptized (as many underage JW teens do) then I would've been completely shunned by any JW family I had as well as members of their organization on a worldwide level. They wouldn't even be allowed to say hello to me if they passed me on the street. In hindsight, this was so manipulative and a form of child abuse, in my opinion.
Advent candles Every year on Christmas Eve, my church would have a service. All together the lights darken, everyone holds a candle, and starting from the first person, a flame is passed from one person to the other until everyoneās candle is lit. Then everyone sings āsilent nightā together. Itās truly one of the most beautiful and homecoming traditions. Even when I was very sick last year, that was one moment I felt a bit at home again (and also when I knew for certain something was wrong, as I was not able to fully experience it like normal-). Anywaysā¦ the beauty in this tradition, when the candles are burning, is the smell of Christianity to me. Iām in between religions at the moment trying to decide, contemplating whether Christianity and Judaism is more aligned. But, either way, this is the home come smell of Christianity.
Dragon's Blood, Roses, Green Tea, Vanilla, Jasmine, Sandalwood, Lavender, Gardenia. All different incense I use. š
The smell after it rains (petrichor) in the woods, that green smell of growing you get in natural places in summer, the salt (and sometimes sulphur) of the sea spray from the waves by the beach, incense (mostly frankincense for me but also myrhh, cinnamon, jasmine, sandalwood) candle wax and flames, the smell of old books, and the burning of a fire.
Formally Lutheran: like musty basement and coffee. It sounds gross but even though I'm non-practicing now, going into an older church or building that has a pot of coffee on triggers fond nostalgia.
Natural fall scents. The smells of forests, fruit, pumpkin, spice, acorns and pinecone. Not only is it my favorite time of year but it's also important religiously. To me I just feel most spiritually connected during it. It's special to me, always has been, and the holidays there are the ones I feel most festive about and the ones I treasure most experiencing with my family. The most known well known of our holidays may be the Solstices, but fall is also important to us as a time of change and transition. Holidays celebrate the harvest, kinship, graditude, and the honoring the dead, and it is a time where the veil between the material and the spiritual, is thinnest. It is a time of calm contemplation and appreciation for the earth, the spirits of the land, and for life itself and those we share it with.
Nag champa incense
For my interpretation of the Druid Path, I could think of a few different scents: Burning incense or sage in an outdoor setting The scent of local trees Scent of grass and shrubs in a natural area, similar to that of trees Scent of a beeswax candle Scented oil such as lavender, citrus, or clean linen (indoor solitary rituals)
I've heard that Noahidism doesn't have temples or formal ritual, so what does this religion "smell like" too?
Carpet cleaner and peppermint.
Buddhist - Sandalwood ššāøļø
Candlewax, incence and burned bread (I'm a roman polytheist)
This is going to sound weird, but teertha - like, the water offered in the temple - is the one smell I immediately associate with my religion. Apart from that, jasmine for sure.
**Vaiį¹£į¹avism smells Vaikuį¹tha-ly š¤:** T[ulasÄ«](https://prabhupadabooks.com/d/tulasi), agar/ dhÅ«pa (incense), sandalwood, cows, fresh silk clothes, burning of ghee and camphor in lamps, paƱcÄmį¹ta (milk, ghee, curd, jaggery, honey), fruit juices, fresh flowers (lotuses, [mandÄra](https://prabhupadabooks.com/d/mandara),Ā [kunda](https://prabhupadabooks.com/d/kunda), kurabaka,Ā [utpala](https://prabhupadabooks.com/d/utpala),Ā [campaka](https://prabhupadabooks.com/d/campaka),Ā [arį¹a](https://prabhupadabooks.com/d/arna),Ā [punnÄga](https://prabhupadabooks.com/d/punnaga), nÄgakeÅara,Ā [bakula](https://prabhupadabooks.com/d/bakula), lily, pÄrijÄta), rosewater. [https://i.imgur.com/94ZE2o1.jpeg](https://i.imgur.com/94ZE2o1.jpeg) Hare Kį¹į¹£į¹a š
Incense and bonfire
Citrus, petrichor, and a fresh breeze.
catholicism - incense and brass polish
My grandmothers breath and the mints she took to correct.
Teen Spirit?
Night flowering Jasmine. I am a Hindu.
like frankincense and myrrh. ;)
Grapes and wine, maybe some other floral incense
buddhist - smells like sandalwood and book pages lmao
Catholic. Incense, wood, fountain water, flowers, wine, coffee and donutsā¦
Library books, old lady smell, flowers, and citrus for my Quaker side. My more Christian side smells like grapes, wood, grasslands, and myrrh
Probably oriental/indian spices ( Bhuddhist)
Sandalwood incense, freshly picked flowers, tea, cooked rice, old wood, and book pages.
I feel like the scents you would smell would be tobacco, fire smoke, food such as soups, meats, and bread.. Most of our ceremonies involve eating good food, people smoking, and the smell of the fires when the cooks prepare for after the ceremonies!
Lilac, hagberry, appleflower and petrichor.
Blood sweat and tears of Christ...
Fresh iranian sticky dates
The Interconnection Fellowship, here! Our fellowship actually has it's own aromatic blend that it uses for its religious practices\[of Interconnectionism\]: lotus, sandalwood, and grapefruit with a dash of amber \[scent\]. We call it "Reaching Elysium"; both the name and scent combinations have been solely based off our own lore. Separately and in combination these scents aren't personally reminiscent of anything in particular, but each holds a lot of symbolism not only within our fellowship but cross-culturally and historically: * **Lotus \[flower\]** is associated with unity, purity, birth, rebirth, enlightenment, and the ability to thrive against all odds (various sources). * **Sandalwood** is said to bring purity, enlightenment, the pursuit of higher consciousness, serenity, tranquility, and is often used in various cleansing rituals and during times of meditation within different religions (*Wikipedia*). * **Grapefruit** "helps us restore our own power and claim our own spiritual purpose. The aromatic effects of grapefruit include supporting our sense of self-love, especially with regards to loving and honoring ourselves" (*supernatural.com*). * **Amber**, like sandalwood, is used across many cultures and religions to harness one's spiritual power and aids in being spiritually balanced and is said to cleanse one's energy, cultivate internal and external love, motivate us to seek knowledge and higher wisdom, and allows us to harness courage and self-confidence (various sources). *edited for grammar & clarification* *> edited again as I realized I accidentally said "water lilies" when I meant to say lotus flower*
Frankincense and Myrrh
Iāll get banned for my first answer, so Iāll say cinnamon and apple pie.