The special time between the years: herbal expert explains smoking in the rough nights

Created: 12/27/2022, 7:00 p.m

By: Elena Royer

Smoking is becoming increasingly popular.

Herb teacher Anneliese Stockinger has also discovered the topic for herself.

She explains what the aromatic smoke is supposed to do during the rough nights.

Rough nights should be a break © Arndt Pröhl

A woman from Heilbrunn reveals which herbs are particularly suitable for smoking - and why she doesn't hang her laundry outside to dry on rough nights.

Bad Heilbrunn

– Aromatic, fragrant smoke rises from the small stone pot that stands on the table in Anneliese Stockinger's living room.

The trained herbalist distributes the white clouds of smoke with a large fan made of feathers.

Then she sprinkles a bit of incense on the glowing coals.

Smoking as a ritual in the rough nights

Smoking is a ritual that is often performed during rough nights.

From Christmas Eve onwards the twelve Raunnachts begin, which last until Epiphany.

It's the time of silence, looking inward, looking back at the old year and looking forward to the new year, explains Stockinger, who has attended a special training course on smoking.

"It just interested me," she says, noting that smoking has been attracting more and more interest in recent times.

She explains to the Tölzer Kurier what smoking is all about during the rough nights.

The 66-year-old herself slowly approached the topic.

"I'm not a specialist, I just want to impart knowledge for home use," she emphasizes.

But what is behind the smoking?

"This creates space for something new," explains the herbalist, who lives near Bad Heilbrunn.

"You get rid of ballast and start the new year carefree." By smoking, you also clean the rooms of "emotional cobwebs", Stockinger found out during her research.

In addition, the scent rises to the "oldest part of the brain", the limbic system, where it has a positive effect on mood and feelings.

Sage, mugwort and juniper are good for smoking

It is particularly important to pay attention to the quality of the smoking material.

"Colored incense, for example, doesn't work so well," explains Stockinger.

Instead, she recommends incense from Altötting.

During the summer months, she collects herbs herself, which she dries on grids and then fills into paper bags.

In the winter she has a large supply.

But you can also smoke with incense tufts.

To do this, herbs are tied tightly together with a string and the whole bunch is set on fire.

"But that's not necessarily practical for fumigating the whole house with it," says Stockinger.

Because embers can easily fall off.

Sage with its disinfecting effect, cleansing juniper or mugwort, which is said to relieve anxiety, are well suited for smoking during the rough nights.

She recommends an incense burner for beginners.

"That's the simplest option." But a censer pan filled with sand is also good for putting the glowing coals in.

The smoking material comes on top.

Laundry hanging out to dry attracts evil geysers

There are many traditional customs and rituals for the rough nights.

"Some don't do laundry during this time," Stockinger explains.

She herself avoids hanging her laundry outside to dry during the twelve days.

"It is said that this attracts evil spirits." In addition, these days should be used as a break.

"Every rough night you can think about the new year," explains the 66-year-old.

For example, you can ask yourself questions like: What do I want to achieve in the new year?

What is my heart's desire?

According to Stockinger, the fourth rough night on December 28 and the last rough night on January 5 are key nights.

In these nights you can dissolve everything that has not gone well in the past few nights.

One thing is particularly important to her: “It shouldn’t be an obligation or a compulsion.

It doesn't matter if you can't do something in one day."

You can find more current news from the region around Bad Tölz at Merkur.de/Bad Tölz.