Photo: Jana Káninská, Czech Radio
One of the many Czech Christmas traditions is the burning of incense cones, known as Františeks, which originated in the Ore Mountains on the Czech-German border more than 300 years ago. A small workshop in Roztoky u Křivoklátu has been producing the scented charcoal cones for over twenty years.
For many Czechs, the scent associated with Christmas is that of burned scented charcoal cones, or Františeks. The tradition originated in the Ore-Mountains in the north-west of the country and dates back to the 1700s. Its roots, however, are much older, going back to the use of frankincense in Catholic liturgy.
While the Germans call it Räucherkegel, literally a smoking candle, the origin of the Czech name František or little Francis, is less clear. It is interpreted as a variation of the English frankincense, derived from the Latin incēnsum, but it could also refer to its shape reminiscent of a Franciscan monk’s hood.
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Authors: Ruth Fraňková, Magdalena Hrozínková