Snap Opinions; What does Santa Claus smell like? by Hardware

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Snap Opinions; What does Santa Claus smell like?

POSTED BY: HARDWARE
UPDATED: Sunday, December 12, 2004 18:49
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Tuesday, December 7, 2004 5:09 AM

Okay, we all know the iconography that goes along with Santa Claus, St. Nick, Father Christmas or whatever label you put on him. Now, since I am going to be portraying the jolly old elf this year a question has been raised about what he smells like. We all know what he looks like, but somehow showing up smelling like a commercial cologne doesn't quite fit the Christmas spirit.

A small team at my company has been working to make this a memorable experience for the employee's kids. These people have knocked themselves out. They've got a very Christmas-y throne for Santa to hold court on. They hand made a custom Santa Claus costume. I've been growing a beard since September and have even purchased some black wellingtons to have fur sewn onto the tops to avoid having to use the commercial spats seen with most costumes. We are even getting inside information on the kids sent to us by the parents so we can make it seem that Santa really does know if they've been bad or good.

Now, since smell is the sense most likely to trigger memories (and we want to make this really memorable for the kids) the question has been asked, what does Santa Claus smell like? I have a few idea, but I'd be interested in other folk's opinion on the matter. (suggestions of reindeer poop will be politely ignored.)

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Tuesday, December 7, 2004 5:48 AM

SHW

My first thought wasn't reindeer poo, but reindeer. Like people who work with horses smell like horses..
But obviously, not everyone has a heard of reindeer in their back yard

So. Uh, alcohol and mince pies. Cinnamon and ginger and Christmas spices.

shw

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Tuesday, December 7, 2004 5:49 AM

CYBERSNARK

Symbolically, probably cinnamon or candy canes. If you wanna go for verisimilitude, you could try for sawdust and/or woodsmoke (from the workshop). Just remember to have breathmints, to avoid the inevitable bad breath (really noticeable with kids on one's lap).

Does your costume include an eye-patch (suitably festive, perhaps in scarlet, with a snowflake design in sparkly thread)? Nobody gets the eye-patch. It's back from when he used to be called Odin, and traded one eye for knowledge of everything. The eye still sees, but not physically: that's how he "sees you when you're sleeping, and knows when you're awake, and knows if you've been bad or good" (that song has always kinda creeped me out).

'Course, if you go with the eye-patch, you'll need to have a couple of crows around. . .

-----
We applied the cortical electrodes but were unable to get a neural reaction from either patient.

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Tuesday, December 7, 2004 5:51 AM

DIETCOKE

Baked apples with cinnamin!

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Tuesday, December 7, 2004 7:53 AM

KELLAINA

Peppermint and candy canes.

If nothing we do matters, then all that matters is what we do. -"Angel"

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Tuesday, December 7, 2004 8:18 AM

HERO

Tim Allen?

H

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Tuesday, December 7, 2004 8:21 AM

GEEZER

Keep the Shiny side up

Back before smoking was evil, I'd have said pipe smoke. Something like Cherry Blend with a nice fruit smell. Now I guess the cinnamon/hot apple cider/cloves type thing would do.

"Keep the Shiny side up"

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Tuesday, December 7, 2004 8:52 AM

MINIME

coal
or wood

chimneys.

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Tuesday, December 7, 2004 11:00 AM

DUG

Wow...no one has mentioned evergreen trees yet, and that seems obvious to me. If you're trying to elicit the xmas response...

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Tuesday, December 7, 2004 11:37 AM

I can't say for sure what Good St. Nick would smell like, but I would assume some sort of baked goods, cinnamon, chocolate, or vanilla of some sort.

________________________________________________

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Tuesday, December 7, 2004 11:37 AM

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Tuesday, December 7, 2004 11:55 AM

ZNACHKI

Without looking at what other folks have written:
Peppermint, pipe tobacco, and snow. And maybe a little wet wool

Post Pictures Santa!

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Tuesday, December 7, 2004 12:11 PM

UNCHARTEDOUTLAW

Snap...without reading what anyone else said:

Cinnamon

Or Reindeer Pee...not sure which, really.

-Taylor

The Uncharted Outlaw!
"You can get a lot further with a kind word and a gun than you can with just a kind word."
See my Firefly Store: http://www.cafepress.com/NorCalRiviera

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Tuesday, December 7, 2004 12:25 PM

MAUGWAI

Old people always smell like mothballs. Plus, his suit would have been in a footlocker or something all summer, so mothballs would make sense. He'd probably smell like product, too, because he has a lot of hair and it does look shiny.

So mothballs and hair gel.

"Dear diary, today I was pompous and my sister was crazy."

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Tuesday, December 7, 2004 2:22 PM

ZELDA

Gingersnaps.

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Tuesday, December 7, 2004 4:02 PM

MALICIOUS

I'm going with the peppermint/candy cane as my "snap" answer.

EDIT after reading thread: It behooves me to wonder, how did the previous respondent smell the moth's balls?

Mal-licious

Co-Holder of the Red Bell from Hell

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Tuesday, December 7, 2004 4:35 PM

MOHRSTOUTBEARD

When I read the title of the topic, I thought, "Cinnamon." I guess other people feel the same.

"You've just gotta go ahead and change the captain of your brainship, because he's drunk at the wheel."

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Tuesday, December 7, 2004 5:19 PM

DARKJESTER

Snap response - pine, vanilla and moth balls, and I KNOW someone will have a remark for that last one!

Edit - Yep, I was right!!

MAL "You only gotta scare him."
JAYNE "Pain is scary..."

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Wednesday, December 8, 2004 1:28 AM

MERCEDESTROY

My very first thought when I saw the name of this thread was -

Gingerbread and eggnog.

So I went with it. I am sure cinnamon goes in there somewhere; wish I had a sense of smell... *sigh*

DeeDee

If Justice is the dish, then I am your waitress

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Wednesday, December 8, 2004 3:28 AM

SPOOKYJESUS

Mrs. Claus.

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Friday, December 10, 2004 8:08 PM

GLOWYRM

my initial reaction was "spruce, reindeer poo and soot." but after reading the message... well i dont think it would go down too well, heres my theory...

in the northern hemisphere it's winter, therefore the predominant smells should be "wintery" breathmints are good especialy if they are peppermint or spearmint(slightly lighter in smell, and not as harsh on the vocal chords).

Cinnamon is the Queen of spices and associated with christmas for a good reason... ever had a baked apple without it??

spruce, or fir trees (i think) are used as christmas trees, so use a mix of these scents to make a genuine "santa" smell for the northern half of the world.

if you are like me, and live south of the equator, you have a slightly harder problem. an aussie santa inveriably smells of V.B. sweat and willow (as in a cricket bat) or alternatively, you could use a small bag of huon pine shavings, pine needles, and instead of just cinnamon, round it out with a little ginger or nutmeg.

any scent that brings feelings of warmth, security and love can be found in most kitchens the world over. fresh baked bread, cookies in the oven etc sell houses so why couldnt they sell santa??

... if all else fails, stuff a few HOME MADE or homestyle choc chip cookies in the shirt. it may leave a few crumbs but the kids love the smell.

"i love being a glowyrm, cause a glowyrm cant be glum. for who the heck would argue with big teeth and a sun for a bum!"

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Friday, December 10, 2004 8:11 PM

GLOWYRM

i didnt know moths had balls... do they dress up or just go in their daggy oldies???

you were expecting something a bit more risque?

get your mind out of the gutter!

...there isnt room for us both.

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Friday, December 10, 2004 8:12 PM

EMBERS

yeah, when I saw the thread title I thought
pipe tobacco and
peppermint

I didn't think of wet wool
(LOL)

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Friday, December 10, 2004 9:18 PM

NEEDLESEYE

I asked my other half and he automatically said Santa would smell like moth balls.
Throw aside any fantastic romanticized visions of Xmas. Santa's suit has been in a musty closet for 11 months!
I would think he should smell like gingerbread or vanilla, something like that.

Keeper of Jayne's goggles. 8)
I am Nathan's biggest "Flan"

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Sunday, December 12, 2004 6:49 PM

HARDWARE

We finally decided that Santa smelled like Peppermint and had an interesting time making him smell that way. For those of you who helped me ponder this seasonal puzzler there a picture posted in the blue sun room of what Santa looked like. The Everything in the photo is real, except for the color of certain elements.

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