Gold, frankincense, and myrrh. No wonder the Magi are known as wise men. Their gifts were valuable but the last two were also useful as healing traditional medicine – they were used to help mothers recover from childbirth. Burning them as incenses covered bad smells, and was thought to purify the air and prevent infectious disease. Pretty handy in a stable.
We use frankincense and myrrh to improve blood circulation, and to help people recover from traumatic injury. We don’t tend to use them for post-partum recovery but instead use other herbs with similar characteristics. Probably because while they smell great they don’t taste too good.
Yes. Xmas – X being an abbreviation of Χριστός, the Greek word used to name Christ.