Is there any scent evocative of your childhood?

Question

I have only to get the slightest whiff of white-flowering privet hedges to be transported back immediately to my childhood first home and nursery school.

Answer 1

The smell of "Honey Suckle" early in the morning, my house that I grew up in had a huge hedge of it surrounding the back yard on the fence, all I have to do is smell it a little, and I'm 9 yrs old again playing ball with "Buffy" my little cocker spaniel dog in the back yard. The smell of my mother's meat ball's cooking (my wife makes them every other Sun.). Sometimes I can close my eyes and see my world again, the back door open's up, somebody gets in from work, or late from school, "I'm Home" is yelled out, the dog barks once or twice... "Wash your hands, we're eating" is yelled out"......then the whole image in my mind dissappears into a blizzard of snow, back to where ever.

Answer 2

Mint. Our garden was full of the stuff, but we never used it. My mother just left it growing for passers-by to pick.
The smell of new leather shoes. I'm still a shoe sniffer...but not in a weird way! It always takes me back to my childhood

Answer 3

Yes, Mountain Misery (aka Bear Clover)... reminds me of exploring in the high Sierras. It has a very strong odor.
http://www.geocities.com/seabulls69/MountainMisery.html

Answer 4

Interesting question,
a fact, that if you weren`t aware of , is,.
the 'olfactory' senses, i.e. smell and taste,
are the most prolific in accessing the memory banks !

Answer 5

frangipani flowers or lavendar always remind me of hot days in Australia with mum's lavendar perfume. Also she used to wear 4711 ice cologne for a while...I always smell that and think of her.

Answer 6

SAWDUST!
My father was a builder and he passed away when I was 11.
Love the smell of it. Makes me remember watching him work in the garage..... 26 years ago

Answer 7

Sweet peas, my grandmother used to have hundreds of them in her garden, also the smell of freshly cut stone - we had a lot of work done on our house one summer!

Answer 8

For me oddly enough it is the scent of diapers being washed. I am the eldest of 5 children. BTW....good question!

Answer 9

Linden blossoms...takes me right back to walks in the country with my Mum and Dad me in the buggy and my sister walking beside...always make me smile

Answer 10

Lilac.. I used to have Liilac bushes outside my window in my childhood home....