11 December: Frankincense
According to the story of the Three Kings, frankincense was one of the gifts brought to the newborn Jesus. Many ancient cultures used incense in their worship and the Old Testament mentions that frankincense was burned by Jewish priests as sacred incense.
Frankincense is an aromatic resin used in incense and perfumes, which comes from Boswellia trees. The word comes from Old French franc encens meaning high-quality incense. The botanical illustration below was made by Walter Müller in 1887, and shows the Boswellia carteri.
Natural History Museum’s 1 minute introduction:
Know History’s 4 minute video about the history of Frankincense: