Christmas Tree at The Main Square, photo by Elena Cvjetkovic

Christmas Eve is just a hours away, and the words of ancient carols come to my mind. Oh, we Croatians love to sing and party at Christmas time (or anytime)! Some of the most popular songs are dating back to the 12th century, and we take pride in having more than 500 (five hundred) Christmas carols. My favorite one? It’s called Veselje ti navješćujem (English translation: Joy to the World), and my great-grandmother taught me the lyrics when I was five years old. I also remember the scent of dried rose petals and lavender in her closets, fresh sage, vanilla, clove and frankincense on a burner  in her kitchen, and the warmth of my feet under huge, goose-feathers filled, blindingly white, starched linen plush quilts that brought sweet dreams when I visited her during Christmas Holidays. Since Christianity here dates all the way back to the 7th century, it’s no wonder that there are so many traditions and customs present to this day –  they’ve changed some during the last couple of decades yet some of the oldest ones managed to stay. I’m quite strict as far as any outraging consumerism is concerned, anytime but especially at Christmas time – easy for me, but I’ve got some values to teach my kid. For me and my family this time of a year is all about faith, spending time together, reinforcing our family core values, contemplating peace and sharing love. Joy to the world! 

 Choeur Des Anges, photo by Elena Cvjetkovic

Joy, daughter from Elysium, and as I sing Veselje ti navješćujem, I reach for the bottle of Atelier Des Ors Choeur des Anges, perfectly capturing the feeling of utter joy: it brings me an immediate feeling of happiness plus an instant smile. When you first inhale this heavenly fragrance, it feels like a breath of some divine being: orange pulp with abundant offering of sweet, juicy and ripe pears, served on a golden platter. Honey too, divine nectar is flowing, and carrot seeds provide an earthy, vegetal, gentle touch. Hours later it subdues into ambery shades of soothing warmth, still touched by the brightness of mandarins. Sheer happiness in a bottle!

Notes: Blood orange, Blackcurrant, Pear, Orange flower absolute, Carrot seeds absolute, Osmanthus, Cedarwood, Amber, Provencal Honey.

Cathedral Entrance, Zagreb, photo by Elena Cvjetkovic

The mood is set, so allow me to throw in some of my other Christmas traditions, and explain the way I connected these key values with perfumes:

Faith

While the city of Zagreb is illuminated with Christmas lights and decorations and numerous Advent Fair kiosks and stands, and a huge pine tree already set up on the Count Jelačić Square, I must say that this is something rather new. Traditionally, the Christmas tree was not supposed to be decorated before the 24th of December: Christmas Eve was the time for families to gather around the tree, sing carols and decorate it together! Santa is also something imported: we do celebrate St. Nicholas on December 6th (who also brings small gifts to children, usually oranges and sweets), but Santa Claus is not a part of our tradition. Presents are brought to children by Baby Jesus, and for practicing Roman Catholics confession is an important part of preparations for Christmas festivities together with attending daily 6 AM morning masses during Advent time, and the most important – Christmas day 12.00 o’clock mass, after the presents have been opened early in the morning. Family lunch follows, and oh! Croatian traditional cuisine is something not to miss!

Filippo Sorcinelli Lavs, photo by Filippo Sorcinelli

This is where I’ll reach for “churchy scents“: Filippo Sorcinelli it is, and the perfume is Lavs (the first Unum fragrance Filippo created in 2014): a breathtaking liturgical, gothic incense-centered perfume, not intense, overly dark or overwhelming at all – it’s rather meditative, calming, balsamic, resinous, and its serenity matches so well the feeling I get when I walk into the main neo-gothic cathedral in the city.

Notes: Jasmine, Cardamom, Black pepper, Elemi resin, Clove, Coriander, Labdanum, Rosewood, Oakmoss, Amber, Tonka bean, Opoponax

Live Nativity Scene at Zagreb Cathedral, photo by Elena Cvjetkovic

Simplicity

Jesus was born in a stable upon a bed made of straw, and we’ve always been using  straw to decorate the Nativity scene under a Christmas tree. It’s a reminder that we are all born naked into this world (but fully clothed in potential, as the saying goes) and we all leave this world – naked. Simplicity is a yet another value Christmas really should be all about, and traditional Christmas decorations are all very simple, and fun to make at home – like walnuts painted gold, oakmoss (yes, real oakmoss!) under the tree, wrapped candies or Licitar hearts hanging from finely smelling branches. I have been using these Licitar hearts (colorfully decorated biscuits made of sweet honey dough) to decorate our Christmas tree for many years now, and they are a traditional symbol of the city of Zagreb:

 Licitar Hearts Christmas Tree Decorations, photo by Elena Cvjetkovic

Here’s one fragrance that first came to my mind when I was contemplating all the Christmas decorations we use that connect us to nature, a new perfume that was launched this December:  April Aromatics Vetiver Coeur, created by Art and Olfaction Arward winning  Tanja Bochnig. Beautifully blended, seemingly simple, finely structured, joyful and calming at the same time.

Vetiver Coeur opens with a burst of tingling, shining happiness, but oh! The coeur, the heart of this fragrance is truly about magnificent Vetiver in all its beauty, supported and surrounded by a rainbow of notes leaving their traces around it, appearing and disappearing in an elaborate choreography.

 Vetiver Coeur April Aromatics, photo by Elena Cvjetkovic

Vetiver is here performing on a theatrical stage under elaborately designed spotlight, and the fragrant light effects under and above it make its performance spectacular! Serene, with an almost vintage vibe yet with a contemporary structure and artistic expression full of life, Vetiver Coeur is a fragrance that is uplifting and luxurious with its green-spicy facets, with a soft heart and soothing, spirit-uplifting calmness and tranquility.

Notes: Orange blossom absolute, Clary Sage, Iris, Rose absolute, Haitian vetiver, Indian vetiver, Mysore sandalwood, Virginia cedar, Orris root, Tobacco, Carnation, Tonka bean.

Hope

 Advent Wreath in Zagreb, photo by Elena Cvjetkovic

At the center of the city we have each year a big Advent Wreath surrounding the Mandusevac Fountain. This site has been the founding place of Zagreb: in distant past, a young knight was riding by and he scratched the surface of the ground with his sword, thus discovering a source of water which he dedicated to his love- a girl named Mandusa. She kept bringing water whenever her lover was hot or thirsty, and this spot is called Zagreb in the Croatian language, hence the name of the capital.

As we’ve lit the candle of Hope this past Advent Sunday, there was a perfume I immediately reached out for: St. Clair Scents Pandora, belonging to the new Audacious Innocence Collection, and featuring illustrations that are the work of talented Italian artist Massimo Alfaioli. Hope, that sweet-smelling, soul-comforting cure during hard times, the only bright thing that remained in Pandora’s box, and the only optimistic thing that we all sometimes cling on to when there’s nothing else left to support us. While both scents in this collection (Eve and Pandora) revolve around the apple at their heart, Pandora is darker, touched by shadows lurking underneath spicy citruses, a breath of heavens that falls upon Earth. The abundance of gifts offered is alluring, as Nature unfolds the green of tomato leaves, the murmur of vetiver, softness and creaminess of orris, the scent of sweet jasmine and lush roses, almost as saying: Look closer! Life is magnificent! Rejoice! The fragrance stays true to dark undertones felt from the opening, changing forms and appearances as shadows shift softly in the candlelight, with red, ripe and juicy apples that are dipped in thick labdanum and opoponax layers in drydown, sprinkled with specs of golden vanilla that sparkle on your skin from time to time.

Notes: apple accord, cedrat coeur, bergamot, red mandarin, tomato leaf, orris butter, lilac accord, Bulgarian rose absolute, Turkish rose absolute, ylang ylang, jasmine sambac, carrot seed, oakmoss, double distilled vetiver, tonka, woods, musk,opoponax absolute and natural extraction labdanum.

Joy to the world! From all of us at ÇaFleureBon a Merry Christmas to each and every one of you!

Elena Cvjetkovic, Sr Contributor

Disclaimer: Samples of perfumes mentioned were gifted to me by brands, opinions and feelings–  as always – of my own.

Thanks to the generosity of  April Aromatics  have a draw for  30 ml of April Aromatics Vetiver Couer for one registered reader in EU, USA or USA. You must register here or your comment will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what you enjoyed most  about Elena’s Christmas in Croatia, what celebratory traditions you have for Christmas and where you live. Draw closes December 27, 2019

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