How to burn frankincense and myrrh

Frankincense and myrrh were two of the gifts that the wise men brought to the young Jesus. To culminate the Christmas season, I enjoy burning these two spices on the 12th day of Christmas, January 6th, the day many Christians commemorate when the wise men came to Mary, Joseph and the young Jesus.

To burn your own frankincense and myrrh:

1. Fill a heatproof container with about 1-2 inches of sand. The sand will help dissipate the heat so that the incense burner will not get as hot.
2. Turn your stove on and place the charcoal briquette on the burner. I like to use the stove to light it, as it is much easier than using a lighter, though both will work.
3. Turn the charcoal over until the entire briquette is lit.
4. Remove the briquette and place in your incense burner with the charcoal ‘dish’ side up.
5. Fill the briquette with salt. The salt helps the incense to burn at a lower temperature, which makes it burn longer, and with less smoke.
6. Place just a few pieces of resin on the center of the briquette.
7. As the resin stops smoking, place more pieces of resin on the burner as desired. The briquette should burn for about 30-45 minutes.

The gifts of frankincense and myrrh

Now, you can sit back and while reading the story of the wise men, you can enjoy the smell of the gifts brought to the Christ child over two thousand years ago.