Day 3 and 4 – Santiago, Bank Issues, the Botifumerio and the Pilgrim’s Passport<\/p>\n
Last time I was in Santiago I was not able to see this. The photo below is of a massive 120 lb incense burner. \u00a0It is still used regularly, not every day but several times a week. \u00a0 Since the Cathedral has two of three masses a day it really isn’t very often. It is called a Botifumerio.<\/p>\n
I didn’t see it in 2012 and was sorry I didn’t. It is worth seeing. It takes 8 monks to handle it as it swings in the cathedral from one side of the transept to the other. As you watch it, you can see the bright red embers from the coals glowing inside and copious\u00a0amounts of incense smoke trailing after it as it swings from side to side and up and down<\/p>\n
Supposedly, this releasing of massive amounts of incense smoke by a swinging burner was started in the 1400s to hide the stench of the pilgrims who came to mass and confession after weeks on the road without bathing. This specific burner only dates back about 100+ years<\/p>\n
The burner that is used now looks bluish silver in the upper left quadrant of the photo. Towards the center of the photo is of what looks like an older Botifumerio, but is not identified as such.<\/p>\n
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