Hio incense: how to choose 4 sizes and kinds before Lunar New Year

Hio incense is best chosen by the place and length of the ceremony, not only by its scent. Small red sticks suit a home altar, while large hio burn for hours and suit a temple courtyard. Ask your family or temple caretakers as well, because the number of sticks and the type can differ.

Kinds of hio incense by size

This table draws on reports from several makers and different years. So treat the prices as an old guide, not current prices.

Dragon hio carries a dragon ornament made from the same material as the stick. According to detikFinance, makers in Kosambi, Tangerang, mold the ornament and then attach it to the stick. Meanwhile, small hio go through the same steps without the ornament, so they're quicker to finish.

We also found far lower prices for hio incense. Viva recorded Rp175 to Rp1,000 per stick in Demak in 2014, while Republika recorded Rp350 to about Rp23,000 per stick in West Kalimantan in 2022. So size and region clearly affect the price.

What is hio incense made of?

Hio incense has no single recipe. Media reports show several different methods, and those differences help explain why hio with the same name can burn differently.

The Badung maker avoids the sun because it says heat reduces the aroma. By contrast, other makers rely on sun drying. We haven't tested this difference, so don't assume that one method is always better.

Packs also rarely state ingredient amounts. So the words sandalwood or agarwood in a name don't always mean much real wood. See how the forms of incense differ if you're still comparing hio with cones or coils.

How many sticks of hio incense are used?

The most common answer is three sticks. RRI describes them as heaven, earth and humanity, and it also mentions other odd numbers such as 1, 7 or 9. Medcom.id, from an interview at Boen Tek Bio, describes them as God, earth and ancestors.

A UIN Antasari thesis mentions three sticks for general prayer and nine for prayer to God and the saints. It also mentions green handles for funeral prayers and red handles for ordinary prayer. Meanwhile, a UIN Sunan Ampel thesis lists red-handled, green-handled, coil and tael-money incense in Surabaya.

So color and number aren't just a matter of taste. We summarize other traditions in our guide to incense in worship, but your family's and temple's customs still matter more.

Lunar New Year 2027 prayer dates

The next Lunar New Year falls on 6 February 2027, according to Office Holidays. Kompas TV, quoting the Ministry of Religious Affairs and a Confucian minister, sets out the sequence below. The calendar dates are our own calculation from the New Year date, so check them with your temple.

This schedule comes from the Confucian tradition, so other families and temples may differ. For example, detikSulsel writes that families hold ancestor prayers on New Year's Eve, not in the afternoon.

Demand also rises before the holiday. detikBali reported one Badung maker producing 2,000 packs of red incense in the two weeks before Lunar New Year 2023, and it expected demand to as much as double. So order hio incense a few weeks early, especially in large sizes.

How to choose hio incense

This list is an editorial suggestion, not a religious rule:

• Start with the place: short sticks are easier to watch at home, while large hio need open space.
• Ask about burn time: many sellers don't state it. In addition, the figures in the table only apply to particular products.
• Check the holder: long hio need a deep, stable ash burner so they don't tip over.
• Work out how many you need: multiply the sticks by the number of altars you'll visit. Medcom.id describes praying at several places within one temple.
• Ask about temple rules: some places may provide hio or limit the size you can bring.

When you use hio incense at a temple, follow local guidance. Medcom.id describes bowing forward, to the main altar, then to the left and right. The UIN Antasari thesis also notes that the left hand covers the right when holding hio.

Using hio incense safely at home

Hio is still a burning ember, and large hio can burn for hours. So never leave it unattended, and keep it away from fabric, paper and children.

The smoke matters too, especially in small rooms. For that reason, open a window and use the smallest size your tradition allows. Read our explanation of the smoke risks before burning hio every day. If someone at home has breathing problems, talk with a doctor.

Editorial note

Dupa Incense hasn't tested the hio in this article, and the photos are illustrations. Prices come from old reports, so ask sellers for current prices. We aren't a religious authority, and part of this article comes from two undergraduate theses. Dupa Incense is run by a partner of Dupalo, an incense maker in Malang, but this article doesn't recommend a particular product.