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Hello,

I'm looking for a nice, small, incense censer for home use during our family prayers. I'd like one that I can put on the shelf in front of our icon while we pray.

Does anyone have any good recommendations where I can find one (online)? Also, I'm pretty clueless when it comes to incense (I was never an altar-boy) - is there a certain type of incense that one uses with a censer, or is it all the same? Do I need anything other than a censer and some incense (and matches) to use one?

Thanks!

Many places have the small hand-censers, including St. Isaac of Syria http://www.skete.com/ or Eastern Christian Supply http://www.easternchristiansupply.biz/

In terms of incense, they are not all the same. The incense of choice I use both at home and chapel is Holy Cross Hermitage incense http://www.holycross-hermitage.com

While I have not used their incense, Mt. Sinai Orthodox Products (where I do buy my beeswax candles) has begun making hand-rolled incense as well: http://www.msocp.com/ I may try one of theirs next time I order.

Try Light & Life Publishing if you are not able to find any other source. They have good products and prices, and a website at light & life [light-n-life.com]

You will need charcoal, which you can order from the incense suppliers I included above.

Thanks, everyone, for the help. I think I know what I'm doing now.

A nice video I found explains (for ignoramuses like me) how to light a hand censer:

I have a parallel question about the type of incense.

I am looking at Diak's recommendation:

I have incense sticks which I bought a little before my confirmation. I bought them to remind me of church. It is much 'like' the incense burned at Mass as far as the smell goes, but it does not smoke in the volume I've seen at some Divine Liturgies--I have in mind the Coptic services I attended.

What is it about the kinds of incense burnt at Mass or Divine Liturgy that's different from the incense sticks I bought at Fiesta?

How long does an ounce of the incense last?

Terry