National Sense of Smell Day is a holiday observed on the last Saturday in April, encouraging everyone to celebrate their sense of smell. The sense of smell is not only an important sense that alerts us to dangers such as rotten food, gas leaks, or smoke from a fire but also a primal sense that can link us to memories of our childhood.

Our sense of smell also allows us to enjoy delightful scents like baking bread, a particular perfume, or the smell of pine. It’s for all these reasons why we think everyone should take the time to celebrate this holiday.

Sensational Facts About Your Sense Of Smell

To be quite honest with all our readers, we didn’t think too much about our sense of smell until we came across this holiday. Then we took some time and did some research—research that taught us a few facts we didn’t know about the sense of smell. These are facts we’re now sharing with everyone reading about this holiday.

• Scent cells are renewed every 30 to 60 days.
• People can detect fear through the smell of a person’s scent—just like other animals can.
• The sense of smell is one of the oldest senses in nature.
• Women have a better sense of smell than men.

Observing National Sense Of Smell Day

National Sense of Smell Day isn’t a formal holiday celebrated with feasts, music, or parades. It’s an intimate holiday for people to reacquaint themselves with their sense of smell and explore it a little more.

This can be done by taking the time to enjoy some of the smells around you—regardless of whether it’s the smell of a cup of coffee or the flowers in your garden. Or maybe you want to try out a new perfume or cologne. It’s all up to you how you choose to observe this holiday. Just be sure to use the hashtag #NationalSenseOfSmellDay on your social media accounts to spread the word about it online.