O Tannenbaum

Behold the lovely Tannenbaum ('fir tree' for non-German speakers). Here in Tyrol, Austria, Christmas Eve marks the first of three Rauchnächte, or smoking nights. As a long-standing Tyrolean tradition, people in this Alpine region burn frankincense and herbs in homes, barns and stables to avert bad luck. The custom is then repeated on the other two smoking nights, New Year's Eve and the night before Epiphany.
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