What is the name of the scent used by Roman Catholics?
(it’s been years since I’ve inhaled - but one never quite gets it out of the nostrils). I’ve attended mass from NYC to Perth/Fremantle, and the same brand seems to be usage.
And, as a sidebar - does the Eastern Orthodox favor a different aroma? (I’ve never attended one of their services - I hear they make you stand all through it and pass the collection basket as many times as they damn well see fit)
RSVP, oh whore of Babylon
I believe that it’s a blend of frankincense and myrhh. To me, when I burn this at home smells VERY similar to what I remember smelling at Mass as a child. This seems fairly reasonable when you remember that frankincense, myrhh, and gold were the three gifts given to the newborn Jesus in the Christian mythos.
Ex-Alter Boy here.
handandahalf (you’re only 6" tall?), got it. Big chunks of frankincense and myrhh burned on a charcoal biscuit. If you were the one with “incense duty” you had to be sure you didn’t burn down the Sacristy and the smell would stick to you the rest of the day.
-Rue.