For centuries, perfume has been more than a way to smell good. It is a symbol that carries deep meaning — cultural, social, and even spiritual. All over the world, different people have developed the language of scent to express themselves, commemorate meaningful events, and even touch the divine. Knowing how each culture views fragrance is one way of realizing the universality of scent and how we can use it to enrich our lives.
Fragrance in Rituals and Religious Practices
Scent is an intrinsic component of religious and spiritual practice for many cultures. Whether burning incense for a Hindu ceremony, Buddhist ritual, or during a Christian service, scent is a purported way to cleanse the space, make it sacred, and create a channel of communication with the divine. In the Middle East, the use of oud—a powerfully fragrant resin—is a daily ritual experience with religious undertones used as a symbol of respect, welcome, and veneration.
Another example of scent in ritual can be found in the Japanese tradition of Kōdō, “the way of fragrance.” Kōdō is an art form where friends gather to contemplate and experience the differences between the smoldering fragrances of incense with acute awareness. This practice is highly meditative and aligns with traditional Japanese culture—a way to integrate mindfulness and connect to the spiritual world.
Scent as a Marker of Social Status and Identity
Historically, fragrance has also been a way to denote social standing and self-expression. In ancient Egypt, perfumes were an extravagant commodity for the well-heeled, used in the ritual of worship to gods. Pharaohs were entombed with imported alabaster jars of oil to indicate the importance of smelling good in the afterlife.
In Renaissance Europe, perfume became a marker of social status and elegance. Even today, we associate luxury fragrances with notions of class and exclusivity, like the Jomashop Tom Ford fragrance collection. A sumptuous smell can help you create an aura of elegance and refinement, leading some consumers to cultivate their preferred identity with fragrance.
Fragrance as a Cultural Tradition
Across the world, scents are an element of cultural heritage. In India, for example, flowers like jasmine and rose are frequently worn or used in oil or perfume blends at festivals and special celebrations. The scent is believed to bestow good fortune and happiness, so it is a valued element of society.
The same can be said for the Mediterranean, where the use of herbal and citrus scents is incorporated and prevalent in the society. Bergamot, lavender, and rosemary aren’t just popular for perfumes; they form the basis for many traditional remedies and are widespread in cooking. They speak of the link to the land and nature. If you browse Versace fragrances online, you’ll find that a lot of their perfumes are heavily inspired by the Mediterranean. The brand is firmly rooted in its heritage.
Celebrating Diversity Through Fragrance
The rich tapestry of fragrance found around the world is a testament to the common aspiration all humans have in wanting to tell the stories of their individual and shared experiences —traditions, customs, rituals, myths —and how we, through scent, can form connections and bonds. By exploring and understanding the cultural context of fragrance, we expand our worldview, and we can rejoice in the differences in how scent defines us as individuals.
Every time you smell a fragrance, try to remember that a story is bound up within the scent: the culture that created the scent and the culture the scent represents; the people who love the scent and the people the scent speaks to.
