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OUR EDUCATIONAL EDUCATION...What does the church smell like: the aroma that accompanies all church rituals
The temple is a special place. You can come there just like that, in order to pray in silence and solitude. To escape from our noisy world with its endless rush and bustle. Pray in front of the icons, light candles. In general, at least for a few minutes, detach yourself from vanity. And catch a familiar and some kind of nagging smell. What does the old church smell like?
Types of candles
Church candles come in two types - wax and with an admixture of ceresin. Ceresin is not pure wax, but a waxy substance with various impurities. And how are these candles different? And this is discussed in detail in the next subsection.
What does incense smell like?
The relaxing, languid and smoky aroma of incense is difficult to confuse with anything else. The smell depends on the variety used in the manufacture of perfumes. Thus, the resin gives the perfume a warm smoky aroma with sweet-balsamic notes, and the essential oil gives a pronounced cold pine-lemon shade. Incense favorably emphasizes tobacco and woody notes, giving the perfume volume and depth. Thanks to this component, the aromas of women's perfumes acquire a special mystery, sexuality and expressiveness with an oriental flavor.
Wax candle
What does the church smell like, what candles emit a delicate and pleasant aroma that you want to inhale again and again? Of course, wax. Wax is considered the purest substance. A candle is a small sacrifice to God from a person. Is it really possible to sacrifice something bad to God? No, He is supposed to give the best. And not as in the proverb well known to all of us: “You, God, are worthless to me.” And this attitude towards the Creator is fundamentally wrong. He does not forget to take care of us: he wakes us up in the morning, allowing us to see a new day, responds to our requests, helps and does not leave us in sorrow. Why don't we try to give Him the best?
Okay, let's leave the lyrics. Everything is always pure to God - this is a truth established from ancient times. Clean incense for worship, clean candles, clean oil. In general, everything is the best. Other candles contain impurities and cannot be called pure. In addition to religious motivation, there is also a purely everyday one. Wax does not pollute the air, it emits a pleasant aroma, and most importantly, it does not smoke to such an extent as to spoil temple frescoes and icons.
A candle is a symbol of the burning of human souls with faith. Symbol of soul fire. A visible sacrifice to God from His sinful servants. Someone will say that a wax candle is not cheap. Can sacrifice really be cheap? It is done from the heart. When a person does something from the heart, wants to give a wonderful gift to a loved one, for example, he does not consider the costs. A candle is much cheaper than some decoration for a loved one.
Ceresin candles
Unlike waxy ones, they consist of a waxy substance. And they are not clean. And due to the fact that ceresin candles are a storehouse of impurities, they are also not very useful for use.
What's wrong with these candles? First of all, they smell bad. And if now, answering the question “what does the church smell like?”, only pleasant smells are remembered, then after communicating with “fake” candles they will disappear. And this is just the minimum of troubles. The worst thing is that these candles smoke a lot. And thus they spoil the beautiful temple paintings and pollute the icons.
Yes, they are cheap. But the quality leaves much to be desired. Why are they being sold, another person will wonder. Alas, the concept of benefit exists everywhere. And other parishes are not spared this word. We will not develop this idea in order to avoid condemnation. Let's just keep in mind that nothing better than wax candles has yet been invented.
Natural resins
Natural resins in their natural form can also be used as incense, without the addition of aromatic oils: cedar of Lebanon, cypress, myrrh, dammar, but mainly boswellia resin (olibanum). It gives off a smoky, tart, sweet, slightly oily aroma.
Boswellia grows in a number of countries - Yemen, Oman, Somalia, Sudan, Eritrea and Ethiopia. Shades in aromas may differ depending on the place of origin, growing conditions of the tree, purity and time of collection. In order to appreciate the aromas, you will have to smoke the resin to notice the difference.
Incense "Boswellia resin - olibanum"
Confirmation
Anyone who has participated in this sacrament at least once knows what the church smells like, except incense and wax. It smells like peace there. And thus, calm, serene, not tolerant of fuss, which is so lacking outside the gates of the temple. And myrrh - oil with the addition of various incense.
As a rule, the smell of this oil is very pleasant and delicate. When can you encounter him? At the moment of anointing. This happens at the evening service, when the priest draws a cross on the forehead of the parishioner in oil. This is a very rough explanation, but it is made so that it is at least a little clear what anointing is.
And the ritual is as follows: the believer venerates the festive icon standing in the center of the temple, closer to the pulpit. The priest, in turn, stands facing this icon, also in the center of the temple. After the person has kissed the icon, he approaches the priest. And he performs the rite of Confirmation. This aromatic oil is then rubbed all over your face.
Flavored incense
Scented incense can be classified by place of production.
The most famous is the incense made in the monasteries, monasteries and cells of Athos.
What stands out here is “Vatopedi” incense , which is considered one of the highest quality. It has a deep, rich aroma, does not smoke, can be stored for a long time and its fragrance remains in the air for a long time after censing. For its production, high-quality aromatic oils are chosen. Conventionally, they can be divided into woody and floral groups, artificial and natural. For example, such aromas as Night Flower, Desert Flower, Flowers of Athos, Wild Rose, Cherubic, Violet, Walnut and Amber, partly Miro, Byzantium - combine several aromas at once and are attractive for this reason. Others - Rose, Lemon Flower, Cypress, Gardenia, Cinnamon - repeat the natural smell of plants.
On Athos, incense is also produced in the monasteries of Philotheus, Hilandar, the monasteries of the Great Martyr Demetrius, the Holy Righteous Anna, the cells of St. Nicholas, the Holy Apostle John the Theologian (Provata) and the Great Martyr Artemy (Provata) of the Great Lavra Monastery and others.
Each type is slightly different from the other, but the recipes are kept strictly secret; you can feel the differences only by burning the incense yourself.
The incense produced in the Stavrovouni Monastery in Cyprus is highly respected . A centuries-old tradition is carefully preserved here. Abbot Daniel wrote about the trees from which resin is collected to make incense back in the 13th century. Incense from Stavrovouni has a rich aroma.
Athenian incense. The next category is incense made in private workshops in Greece. These include such types as “Athensian”, “Patriarchal”, “Agios Afon”, “Mountain”, “Sketsky”, etc. Its main difference lies in the concentration and quality of the aroma used.
The uniqueness of Jerusalem incense lies in its appearance. It is not presented in the form of small pieces, but in the form of thin plates 3 millimeters thick and 10-15 centimeters in area.
Incense is also made in monasteries in Lebanon.
The production of incense has also been mastered in Russia. Masters use ancient technologies preserved and transmitted from Athos. For example, the “Athos” incense is created according to the recipes of the monks of the New Skete on Mount Athos, and the “Festive” incense is created with the blessing of the New Thebaid desert brotherhood of the Russian St. Panteleimon Monastery of Mount Athos. Frankincense is made from boswellia resin (olibanum) with the addition of high quality fragrant oils.
Frankincense of Athos
Incense "Eucharist"
Incense "Festive"
Incense "Eden"
It's so easy to commit sins
Let us remember how Krug sings: “The old church smells of wax, I can’t remain silent. It’s so easy to commit sins...”
What's next, who will remember? “But it’s not easy to atone.” The long-deceased singer very accurately noted. Sin enters us in tons, and leaves us with great difficulty, barely. And how do we atone for our sins? First of all, repentance. And not only in words. We came to confession, listed our sins, the priest read a prayer of absolution over us and...? And went on sinning. Do the same things you repented of. What is the point of such a confession, the question arises.
The meaning of confession is true repentance. And it implies renunciation of sin. Rethinking your own life, when a person comes to the realization that everything! I don’t want to live like this anymore and do this and that. This is the meaning of repentance, in avoiding sin and voluntarily abandoning it.
When we sincerely repent and ask for forgiveness, then we want to make at least a small contribution to God. And we wonder what we can give to the One who gives us everything? Light a candle, pray from the heart, thank you from the heart. This is quite possible for everyone.
Are devils and demons really afraid of incense?
There is a popular saying: “He is as afraid as the devil of incense.” This raises the question, is this really so? Does incense really repel evil spirits? Here is the priest's comment. Igor Silchenkov believes that such a statement is not true, since demons and fallen angels do not have organs of perception of the physical world.
They have no sense of smell, so they are unable to smell incense. If so, then they cannot be afraid of him. What do demons really not like? These are spiritual deeds performed by people, humility. They love pride, but they run away from a person who has humility in his soul. They also do not like prayers, confession, repentance of sins.
Superstitions
Sometimes a person is perplexed: although I’m not in church, it smells like incense. Indeed, this rarely happens. There is no need to be afraid of this. In fact, the body sometimes tends to wishful thinking. The so-called “program glitch”. Let's say someone hasn't eaten sausage for a long time and really wants to eat it. And it seems to him that the apartment smells of sausage, although there is no trace of it in the refrigerator, and no one can cut it at the moment. This is a game of the body, do not pay attention.
It's the same here. People begin to panic and attribute supernatural explanations to this. Even to the point of warning of one's own demise. All this is nonsense, the real one. You should not look for mystical meaning in something where there is none.
In general, there is no need to connect the church and mysticism. God will never give a person what he cannot bear. As one nun said when people started talking to her about being afraid to see or hear something otherworldly: “Well, keep your pocket wider.”
Application in perfumery
It is difficult to imagine oriental (oriental) fragrances without notes of incense. It favorably emphasizes and sets off woody and tobacco tones, creating a seductive, alluring tonality inherent in most oriental scents. Incense is usually used in tart, bright perfumes, both for women and men. Frankincense absolute (resinoids), obtained by dissolving the resin in ethyl alcohol, is used as a fixative in the base shades of the perfume pyramid. Incense gives aromas expressiveness, mystery and mystery, so you can find its sound in the compositions of many famous perfume houses. In order to find incense in the list of notes, you should pay attention to such names in English as “olibanum”, “incense” or “frankincense”. It can be in the heart of the fragrance, or in the trail; it can play with a light haze, sounding as a background for other components, or it can be a viscous and sweet solo.
Remember that it is best to purchase perfume in trusted stores and not be fooled by the bargain price. Frankincense is a valuable product that simply cannot be too cheap. Its unique aroma will find a response in everyone’s heart, you just need to choose the right composition. Fortunately, a lot of luxurious oriental fragrances with a note of incense have been created, which gives you plenty of options to choose from.
Read more interesting articles about perfume notes in our guide to notes .
Pointless and merciless
The husband comes home and the wife greets him. She catches a strange smell and thinks: “Why does my husband smell like church? Oh, bad luck. Something will happen. He will probably die."
Or maybe the spouse went to the nearest church after work to light a candle. He hadn’t been there for a long time, he was drawn there. Is your husband an unbeliever? I went into the store and ran into some guy. And this guy turned out to be an altar boy. And I was already saturated with the smell of church. So I slightly impregnated my husband. So, dear ladies, there is no need to bury your spouse ahead of time and start stressing yourself out. There is always an explanation for everything. And it’s better to approach the other half with a question about his last places of visit than to rack his brains over it.
And briefly about what not to do. It's believing old wives' tales. Sometimes you go into a temple, and there, by the candlesticks, are sharp-eyed grannies. They see everything, they notice everything. And they begin to hiss after him: “I took the candle with my left hand, what a cursed woman. You can’t light candles with your left hand, it’s a sin. And you can’t approach the icon in trousers, God will punish you. And his heels rattle like unclean hooves.” Sounds familiar, right? So, the politics of these grandmothers has nothing to do with Orthodoxy. What are they doing at the temple then, being absolutely illiterate in this matter? They notice the shortcomings of others and teach them about life. You should approach this with humor, but under no circumstances should you be scared or think anything stupid.
Another smell
It is intangible and cannot be felt with the nose. Only with the soul. What else does the church smell like? Calm and serenity. It’s like in our parents’ house, where we are welcomed and loved. Where you can completely relax, feel safe and trust your loved ones. It’s the same in church, only there we trust the Lord God himself.
Where does incense come from?
This valuable incense has a long history. In Latin, incense is called "Olibanum". It began in Oman, where a huge incense grove grows on the Dhofar plateau, striking in its size. Now it is very famous, and the Incense Route, which supplied almost all countries of the ancient world with valuable incense, originated here. It is currently on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Frankincense is collected by making cuts on tree trunks. The resin released after a week is dried for about a month. When the resin is completely dry, it is sorted into four grades. Due to its characteristics, each variety is used for its own purposes.
High-quality incense has the brightest aroma. These are very small pieces of resin that are teardrop-shaped or round in shape. Their color should be either milky white or amber pink. Next comes a resin 1-1.5 centimeters in diameter, that is, about two or three times larger. If the pieces are milky or amber, then it belongs to the second grade. And if they are dark amber or brown, then go to the third. The largest pieces of resin are classified as grade four. Usually the color is red-brown, and they contain organic inclusions of pieces of leaves, bark or branches.
Let's summarize
So, we found out that the old church smells of wax, incense and peace. Let's remember again what it is.
Wax is an environmentally friendly material obtained as a result of the work of bees. The wax is used to make real, fragrant candles for religious services.
Frankincense is an aromatic tree resin. It is used as the main attribute during censing, and therefore in the service. For censing is carried out during worship. There are three types of incense: Arabian, Somali and Indian. Its smell is sweet, with delicate hints of lemon.
Miro is an incense oil. Used at services to perform the rite of Confirmation.
How is incense produced?
Frankincense is an fragrant tree resin obtained from various plants, most often trees of the genus Boswellia. In February or March, small cuts are made in the trees, from which resin flows out over a long period of time. When it covers the tree trunk and begins to dry out, they begin to collect it.
The resin is ground into flour, water and aromatics are added. The mixture is then stirred until it reaches the consistency of dough, rolled out and formed into long strips, which are cut and dried. To prevent the pieces from sticking to each other, they are sprinkled with magnesia. Dried pieces of resin are incense. Previously, only natural resins were used in the production of incense, without aromatic additives.
Although there is no single classification of incense, three groups can be distinguished depending on the ingredients: incense made from natural resins with aromatic additives; pure natural resins, which serve as the basis for production, but can themselves be used for incense; mixtures of resins and herbs.
