This study investigates a set of inherited practices which have persisted in the Sultanate of Oman despite social and cultural changes in Omani society.
More specifically, the study focuses on the custom of censing, the act of perfuming one’s body, clothing, and surroundings by exposing them to aromatic smoke produced by the burning of frankincense. This represents both a daily ritual and a ceremonial practice, whether individually or communally. The research relies on a combination of field observations as well as random and semi-structured interviews with Omani men and women in the provinces of Al Batinah North Governate. The study discusses the importance of frankincense in Oman, its uses, and the social, cultural, and religious perceptions that govern the daily and ceremonial practices associated with it.
* This Article was published in the 14th issue of AlMuntaqa, a peer-reviewed academic journal for the social sciences and humanities. You can read the full paper here.
