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Distinguish from sensor, censure and censor.

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A typical censer is a small metal or stone dish used for burning incense, often on small legs. In many cultures, burning incense has spiritual and religious connotations, and this influences the design and decoration of the censer. Designs vary from simple, earthenware bowls to intricately carved silver or gold vessels.

A large censer in front of a Taipei temple

In the Roman Catholic, Anglo-Catholic, Old Catholic, and some other Churches, a censer is often called a thurible, and used during important offices (benedictions, processions, important masses). A common design for a thurible is a metal container, about the size and shape of a coffee-pot, suspended on chains. The bowl contains hot coals, and the incense is placed on top of these. The thurible is then swung back and forth on its chains, spreading the fragrant smoke.

A famous thurible is the Botafumeiro, in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. Suspended from the ceiling of the cathedral, the swinging of this 5 foot high, 55 kilogram silver vessel is quite a sight, possibly only surpassed by the spectacle of a lone man hurling himself at the swinging vessel to bring it to a stop.

One of the explanations for the great size of the Botafumeiro is that in the early days it was used to freshen the air in the cathedral after being visited by droves of travel-weary pilgrims.

In the Eastern Orthodox Church, censers are similar in design to the Western thurible, often with the addition of small bells. They are used much more often, typically at every vespers, matins, and Divine Liturgy. If a deacon is present, he typically does much of the censing, otherwise the job falls to the priest. Unordained servers or acolytes are permitted to prepare and carry the censer, but may not swing it during prayers. Censing is the practice of swinging a censer suspended from chains towards something or someone, typically an icon or person, so that smoke from the burning incense travels in that direction. Burning incense generally represents the prayers of the people rising towards Heaven. One commonly sung psalm during the censing is "Let my prayer rise like incense before You, my hands like the evening sacrifice." Some Orthodox Christians use a standing censer on their home altars.

Three types of home censer. Left: plate for stick incense. Rear: censer for granulated incense and briquette. Front: plate holding cone incense.

For home use of granulated incense, small, concave charcoal briquettes are sold. One lights the corner of the briquette on fire, then places it in the censer and extinguishes the flame. After the glowing sparks traverse the entire briquette, it is ready to have incense placed on it.

Censers made for stick incense are also available; these are simply a long, thin plate of wood, metal, or ceramic, bent up and perforated at one end to hold the incense. They serve to catch the ash of the burning incense stick.

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