What does Christmas smell like?

When I think of the smells of Christmas the “expected” ones come to mind: evergreen trees, candy canes, burning candles, scotch tape, and Buckeye Christmas cookies (a favorite where I grew up). But as I contemplated writing this devotion on what Christmas smells like I was inclined to think of what the first Christmas actually smelled like. Probably nothing like the smells we associate with Christmas today… probably nothing at all like that! Even as I imagine going back in time and thinking of the smells surrounding Christ’s birth one might think of the wonderful fragrance of a newborn baby. But Jesus probably didn’t smell like that all!

On the one hand, one might imagine the stench that would surround a birth in a barn. On the other hand, Jesus brought THE most pleasing aroma to this earth. And how wonderful that as believers we get to be called a pleasing aroma of Christ (2 Cor 2:15). As we move into a season that is quite stressful and can be quite lonely for many, what aroma do you pour out?

Darla Schmidt, admin assistant