The Magical History of Pomanders

Where the tradition of covering oranges with cloves came from & reasons you’ll want to make one this holiday season.

It was late at night and I was getting into the holiday spirit by poking cloves into a clementine, I was in the middle of creating a star pattern when it hit me: I had never considered why this tradition exists. Pomanders smell delightful and making one can be a calming, or meditative exercise, but as the smell of clove and citrus filled my room, I knew there had to be more to these delightfully aromatic decorations.

The name Pomander comes from the French term “pomme d’ambre” — which roughly translates to “apple of perfume,” or as I call it: A perfume ball. Pomanders originally took many forms, not just the clove and orange variety, which is the most common today. Pomanders, or the practice of carrying or wearing a ball of perfume (often carried in a protective cage of the same name), were popularized in Europe around the late Middle Ages. At this time, pomanders were used for protection against infection, pestilence, and disease,(or simply the smell of sickness). All of these were far too common at the time due to poverty and a lack of advanced medical knowledge.

Pomanders have always been seen as a symbol of good luck and health.