Why is a string of prayer beads called a rosary?
Early Christians adopted a practice dating to early Hinduism and Buddhism; the practice of using beads as an aid in prayers and meditations. A string of 150 beads helped monks keep track of their daily recitation of the Psalms. During the Middle Ages, monasteries were the seats of education and the practice of herbal medicine. Monasteries were also the location of most rose gardens—the monks had the time to tend the rose bushes and the garden provided a place of meditation and prayer. The strings of beads were made of anything that would serve the purpose—stones, rose hips, rosebuds, seeds, and wood. Somewhere, someone discovered that rose petals could be used to make beads. It may have been a medicinal recipe gone awry or they may have had their origins in ancient Rome when many foods included rose petals. But rose beads often retain their fragrance and the crafting of rose beads may have been an uplifting experience. Roses, rosariums, and memory stimulated by fragrance, rose beads be
