The science behind the sight, sound, taste, touch and smell of Christmas

Of course, not everyone celebrates Christmas. But when December rolls around, the Yuletide vibe can be pretty hard to avoid. 

Christmas decorations have been up for months, we’re hearing seasonal carol muzac piped into supermarkets, smelling the gingerbread, tasting the peppermint candy canes from the office Kris Kringle and feeling the crunch of baubles underfoot.

Newly sharpened pencils, or toilet cleaner – what makes the scent of a Christmas tree so distinctive?

What’s behind the unmissable bang of a Christmas cracker?

And how to wrap your presents to ensure maximum enjoyment.

Petra Stock, science journalist at Cosmos investigates the science behind festive senses, with a few cracker jokes thrown in for good measure.

Read more Christmas related content

Five festive senses: Christmas sights, sounds, smells, tastes and textures

The merchant of death who commemorated peace

A Christmas Tree-t: Our 9 favourite tree stories of 2021

Mixed spice

Huh? Science Explained is a LiSTNR production.

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