They say that smells can trigger memories. What smell reminds you of your childhood?

Question

I'm not certain that it is a myth - what is it called?
Oatmeal cooking in the morning reminds me of childhood...and of course, a turkey baking in the oven reminds me of Thanksgiving and the smell of cinnamon reminds me of Christmas.

Answer 1

This is such an awesome question. Scent is a very strong trigger for memory and emotions. The smells that remind me of my childhood are: potatos frying, pine needles, bubble gum, Aquamarine shampoo, and burning leaves.

Answer 2

The smell of hay and alphalpha ^-^ When I was growing up, my mom worked almost every day of the week, and me and my cousins were left on my grandparents farm when not in school. The scent of hay and alphalpha was sooo strong no matter where we were at! Anytime I am driving through the country and catch these smells, my childhood memories come rushing back in full.

There are often smells I come across that start triggering memories I can't quite get to come out, I am assuming there are very early memories, perhaps from when I was a baby or very young toddler. It always drives me crazy trying to place them. Me and my sister both have a very keen sense of smell, and we both also have a very sharp memory.

Answer 3

oak leaves in the fall make me think of my childhood, that smell is comforting to me. I think of my dad raking the leaves and my sisters and I jumping in and playing all day.
Also, you know that kind of mothball old house smell....When I walk into an old house with that smell I immediately miss my grand parents, there house smelt that way.
And for some reason Vanilla shampoo has a very calming effect on me.....but I just cant connect the memory yet.

Answer 4

The smell of rain on the sidewalk, concord grapes (we had a huge grapevine in the fall the smell of the concord grapes was so sweet & strong) now a days I love to drive through Chattaqua county NY in Oct-Nov for a whiff of the grapes.Fresh mown hay reminds me of summers on the farm. Turkey roasting reminds me of my grandmas house.

Answer 5

There are so many....I think I have an olfactory(I think thats what its called) memory.
There's this smell of fresh air that I get every once in awhile that reminds me of summers at my grandmas, I can usually smell it if I stand in the doorway to the outside.
There's different perfumes that remind me of my mom and my 3rd grade teacher...very comforting.
My dad's cologne reminds me of our trip to Alaska.
Bacon reminds me of being on the farm.
Wood burning reminds me of being cozy by a fire as it was snowing outside.
Vinegar reminds me of fall, my mom would make pickles and the vinegar smell would fill the house.
Pine sol reminds me of the first house I ever lived in.

Answer 6

Vicks vaporub. Sad but true. I was raised by my great grandparents, and every night my grandma would rub vicks under my nose to keep it from getting stuffed up during the night. The smell of vicks reminds me of her and the house we lived in. I can even feel the cold if I close my eyes. They were the only elderly people in the world that kept the house Ice Cold. I love the memory.

Answer 7

The smell of snickerdoodles baking in the oven reminds me of Brownies- I mean small Girl Scouts.

Answer 8

Pine trees smell reminds me of vacations in Alabama
The smell of alcohol brings back unpleasant childhood memories

Answer 9

The scent of homemade apple butter, my grandma used to make the best apple butter, and the smell of rain, it reminds me of all the fun times I had playing in the rain without inhibitions about how ppl viewed me, or getting sick. I rea;;y miss it sometimes. Great question. It took me back for a minute.

Answer 10

The smell of a big 'ol pile of maple tree leaves, ready for me to dive into! And the smell of clothes dried on the line ('cause us kids did all the laundry hanging and taking down from the line) FYI, this smell is like sunshine and fresh rain.
Perhaps too the smell of mud, from all those years spend weeding the gardens, and engine grease from helping my step-dad with repairs. Freshly-split wood, from our fireplace too.