Smells and bells

And when they were come into the house, they saw the yong child with Mary his mother, and fell downe, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented vnto him gifts, gold, and frankincense, and myrrhe.
Matthew 2:11. King James Bible of 1611.

Years ago I bought some frankincense and myrrh in the old souk in Muscat, Oman. Each Christmas we put them on display, together with a bit of gold.

I had never tried lighting the incense but this year I thought I would! I put a few pieces in a burner, also from Oman and applied a flame. I was rather hoping for clouds of fragrant white smoke but it very quickly turned into a fragrant raging fire. The house now smells like St Peter's after high mass!