Journal

Notes on incense

Notes

Smudging a New Home Before You Move In: Custom and Safety

Smudging a new home is a familiar Vietnamese custom. Here is the folk background, common herbs such as soapberry pods and cinnamon, and a gentle, safe way to… Read Notes

Trimming Incense Stubs Before Tết: How and Why on the 23rd

Trimming old incense stubs, tỉa chân nhang, is a pre-Tết altar tidy often done after the Kitchen Gods ritual on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month. A… Read Guides

Keeping the Altar Incense Burner Tidy: Ash, Stubs and Low-Smoke Choices

A tidy altar incense burner comes from small habits: removing old stubs, handling ash, gentle wiping and choosing low-smoke incense. Notes that respect family custom. Read Notes

Folk Taboos When Burning Incense: A Gentle Way to Understand Them

Folk taboos when burning incense, such as not replanting a lit stick or not blowing it out by mouth, differ by region and home. A respectful, safety-minded look. Read Notes

Burning Agarwood at the Start of the Year: A Gentle Opening Ritual

Burning agarwood at the start of the year is a habit in many Vietnamese homes: a small amount, a quiet pause, a few written intentions, and sustainable sourcing. Read Notes

Living Room Incense: Welcoming Guests the Old-Fashioned Way

Living room incense can be a quiet gesture of hospitality: a light scent, lit before guests arrive, with windows open and a word to ask if it is… Read Notes

Feng Shui for the Desk Corner: A Tidy Layout and One Cone Is Enough

Feng shui for the desk corner covers seating, a tidy desk and light. Here are the folk suggestions, plus a safe way to place one incense cone without… Read Notes

Lighting Incense for Those Who Have Passed: Scent and Gratitude

Lighting incense for those who have passed is how many Vietnamese families express gratitude. A gentle look at the meaning, a simple way to do it, and safety… Read Notes

The Smell of Rain (Petrichor) and Earthy Scents

The smell of rain has a name, petrichor, and geosmin is the part our noses catch best. A gentle guide to why we love it and how to… Read Guides

Humidity and Scent: How Heat Changes Incense

Humidity and temperature change how incense releases scent and how we perceive it. Learn why scent feels stronger on hot days and how to adjust with Vietnam’s seasons. Read