CRIS Candles
Fragrances help us create and maintain deep connections with the world around us. Fragrances are also central to our unique notions of home. So we posed this question to our beautifully diverse staff…
What fragrances evoke feelings of home for you?
Their responses were powerful—memories shaded in technicolor, stories woven together with warmth, and fragrances that tie it all together in a full sensory experience of home. In collaboration with Olliver Lifestyle, CRIS has recreated these scents as candles, to fill your home with that same warmth and allow you to connect with the communities we serve in Central Ohio.
Warm Ritual
“As a girl growing up in East Africa, coffee ceremonies were a central part of daily life. This ceremony, performed by the woman of the household, includes many fragrant elements: the subtle smell of the loose grass spread on the floor beneath, coffee beans roasted over an open flame, and the aromatic spices added to the brew. Coffee, cinnamon, cloves, and lemongrass—these are the fragrances that bring to my mind rich memories of holidays, weddings, celebration feasts, and family gatherings.”
-Miriam Tesfai, CRIS Health & Wellness Resource Specialist
Cheerful Marigold
“The sight and smell of marigolds take me back to the garden near my childhood home in Bhutan. These flowers are very commonly used during our holidays, especially the two great holidays Diwali and Dussehra. To this day, the fragrance of marigolds makes me think of these holidays and the merrymaking associated with them: local festivals, fairs, the gorgeous food. I’m also reminded of unity, love, and gratitude among each other.”
-Jhuma Acharya, CRIS Resettlement Caseworker
Sacred Wood
“Every October, the streets of Peru are filled with the fragrance of smoldering ‘palo santo,’ or sacred wood. During this time, Peruvians celebrate one of their most important religious events—the Lord of Miracles—the focal point of which is a large procession through the streets of the capital city, Lima. Donning purple cloaks, the faithful accompany the processional platform carrying an image of the Crucifixion while swinging censers of the sacred wood.”
-Jania Cano Murphy, Community TIES Caseworker
Citrus Bloom
“In eastern Afghanistan, the city of Jalalabad is famous for its citrus groves, especially the beloved bitter orange, or narenj. In early spring, the air is filled with the delicate fragrance of its blossoms. When the fruit is in season, people from all provinces enjoy its vibrant flavor. In the winter months of my childhood, when our home was heated by coal, my family would place dried bitter orange peels near the heating elements. Rather than the smell of smoke or coal, our home was filled with the warm, citrusy aroma of narenj. Even today, that fragrance brings me back to home.”
-CRIS team member, from Afghanistan