Henna: Difference between revisions

===Regions===

{{excessive examples|section|date=July 2024}}

In [[Algeria]], brides receive gifts of jewellery and have henna painted on their hands prior to their weddings.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.algeria.com/wedding-customs/|title=Wedding Customs – Celebrating a Joyous Occasion|work= Algeria.com – Algeria Channel|date= 2 December 2018}}</ref> The bride and the groom seal their vows in front of their guests by getting applied a circle-shaped henna on the palm of their hands. Usually, the grandmothers or mothers of the groom and bride apply this henna, and a small decorative pillow with a satin ribbon is attached on their hands for a few hours.

 

In [[Afghanistan]], henna is also known as "kheena". [[Culture of Afghanistan|Afghan]] tradition holds that henna brings good luck and happiness.<ref name=":7">Monger, George. 2004. ''Marriage customs of the world: from henna to honeymoons.'' Santa Barbara Calif: ABC-CLIO.</ref> It is used by both men and women on many occasions such as wedding nights, [[Nowruz|Nawroz]], [[Eid al-Fitr|Eidul fitr]], [[Eid al-Adha|Eidul Adha]], [[Shab-e-barat|Shabe-e Barat]], and [[Khitan (circumcision)|circumcision celebrations]].

 

Henna traditions were widespread in both [[Eastern Armenia|eastern]] and [[western Armenia]], however, the customs differ based on region.<ref name=Sinanian>{{cite encyclopedia|author-last= Lind-Sinanian|author-first= Susan|title= Encyclopedia of National Dress: Traditional Clothing Around the World|volume=1|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=lazWAQAAQBAJ|editor= Jill Condra|date= 2013|publisher= [[ABC-CLIO]]|pages=40–43|chapter=Armenia|isbn= 9780313376375}}</ref> The henna night, called ''hina gisher'' or ''khennagedje'' in [[Armenian language|Armenian]], has always been deemed an essential part of Armenian marriage traditions.<ref>{{cite book|last= Macfarlane|first= Charles|author-link= Charles Macfarlane|title= The Armenians|volume= 2|year= 1830|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=blRcAAAAcAAJ&dq=khennagedje&pg=PA112|page= 112|location= London|publisher= Saunders and Otley|isbn= 9783628480690|oclc= 729857603}}</ref> In [[Kayseri|Kesaria]], henna parties were organized by the bride’s female friends and family on the Friday before her wedding. Traditional Armenian henna was usually applied on the fingertips, however young women also received designs on their hands. In [[Akkışla|Nirzeh]], elderly women applied henna to young girls and boys.<ref name= Sinanian/> Furthermore, in the Armenian communities of [[Kozan, Adana|Sis]], both the groom and the bride had henna nights, where the groom would get his hair cut and his friends bid for the honor of drawing the cross with henna on the hands of the groom and godfather.<ref>{{cite book|author-first= Misak|author-last= Keleshian|title= Sis-Madyan|lang= hy|publisher= Hay Djemaran Publishers|location= Beirut|year= 1949|oclc= 40920945|pages= 497–507}}</ref> The tradition of ''hinadreq'', painting the palms of a bride-to-be, is still practiced in parts of [[Armenia]] today as a sign of fertility and happiness in married life.<ref>{{cite news|last= Ananian|first= Rima|title= Preserving Wedding Traditions: Armenia's Tonir Project Transforms a Village into an Exclusive Bridal Destination with all the Cultural Attributes|url= https://hetq.am/en/article/83647|date= 18 November 2017|location= Armenia|agency= [[Hetq]]|access-date= 1 November 2023}}</ref>

 

[[File:Hand of Bride with ring.jpg|220x220px|thumb|right|Hand of a [[Bengali Muslim wedding|Bengali Muslim bride]] on her wedding day]]

 

 

Some brides tend to go for [[Alta (dye)|Alta]]. Sometimes Hindu women also apply Mehendi instead (or along with) [[Alta (dye)|Alta]] on their feet during the [[Bodhu Boron]] ceremony.

 

In an attempt to ritually clean a bride before her wedding day, [[Bulgaria]]n [[Romani people|Romani]] decorate the bride with a blot of henna.<ref name=":7" /> This blot symbolizes the drop of blood on the couples' sheets after consummating the marriage and breaking the female's hymen.<ref name=":7" /> The tradition also holds that the longer the henna lasts, the longer the husband will love his new bride.<ref name=":7" />

 

In [[Egypt]], the bride gathers with her friends the night before her wedding day to celebrate the henna night.<ref name=":7" />

 

In India, Hindu women have motifs and tattoos on hands and feet on occasions like weddings and engagements. In Kerala, women and girls, especially brides, have their hands decorated with Mailanchi. In North Indian wedding ceremonies, there is one evening solely dedicated for adorning the bride and groom in [[Mehndi]], also known as 'Mehndi ki raat.

 

In [[Iran]], the most common use of henna is among the long wedding rituals practiced in Iran. The henna ritual, which is called ḥanā-bandān, is held for both the bride and the bridegroom during the wedding week<ref name=":8">http://www.iranicaonline.org "Encyclopædia Iranica." RSS. Accessed 24 March 2021. http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/henna .</ref> The ceremony is held prior to the wedding and is a traditional farewell ritual for newlyweds before they officially start their life together in a new house.<ref name=":8" /> The ceremonies take place in the presence of family members, friends, relatives, neighbors, and guests.<ref name=":8" />

 

In Iran, Māzār ({{lang-fa| مازار }}) is indicating a job title for a person whose work is associated with the [[milling (grinding)|milling]] or [[Mill (grinding)|grinding]] henna [[leaves]] and sell it in a powder form. This type of business is an old job still alive in some parts of [[Iran]], especially in the world recognized archeologically ancient "[[Yazd]]" province.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uk.lush.com/article/east-meets-west-rise-henna |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181029232429/https://uk.lush.com/article/east-meets-west-rise-henna |archive-date=29 October 2018 |title=East meets West: the rise of henna |publisher=Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics UK }}</ref> The most famous one is a family owned business by "Mazar Atabaki" families resided in the land hundreds of years ago. Māzāri ({{lang-fa| مازاری }}) is a place for milling henna mixed with other herbs.{{citation needed|date=July 2020}}

 

In [[Palestine (region)]], now in [[Israel]] and territories of the [[Palestinian National Authority]], some Middle Eastern and North African Jewish communities and families, also Druze, Christian and Muslim ones, host henna parties the night or week before a wedding, according to familial customs.<ref name="rosenhouse">{{cite journal |last1=Rosenhouse |first1=Judith |title=A comparative study of women's wedding songs in colloquial Arabic |journal=EDNA, Estudios de Dialectología Norteafricana y Andalusí |date=1 January 2000 |volume=5 |pages=29–47 |url=https://www.uco.es/ucopress/ojs/index.php/edna/article/view/7241 |access-date=31 August 2018}}</ref> The use of henna in this region can be traced as far back to the [[Song of Songs]] in which the author wrote, "My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms in the vineyards of Engedi."<ref>{{Bibleverse|Song of Solomon|1:14|NASB}}</ref> [[Sephardic Jews]] and [[Mizrahi Jews]], such as [[Moroccan Jews]] and [[Yemenite Jews]] who have immigrated to Israel, continue these familial customs.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sharabi |first1=Rachel |title=The Bride's Henna Ritual: Symbols, Meanings and Changes |journal=Nashim: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues |date=2006 |volume=11 |issue=1 |pages=11–42 |id={{ProQuest|197740785}} |doi=10.1353/nsh.2006.0014 |jstor=40326803 |s2cid=163092214 }}</ref>

 

In [[Malaysia]], henna ({{lang-ms|inai}}) is used to adorn the bride and groom's hands before the wedding at a ''berinai'' ceremony.<ref>''Our Malaysia: Multi-cultural Activity Book for Young Malaysians: Creative! Informative! Fun!'' Kuala Lumpur: Arpitha Associates, 2005.{{page needed|date=July 2020}}</ref>{{unreliable source?|date=July 2020}}

 

{{One source|section|date=July 2024}}

[[File:Mode cérémonie de mariage au Maroc.jpg|thumb|right|Moroccan bride]]

For [[Moroccans]], a wedding festival can last up to 5 days, with 2 days involving henna art.<ref name=Spurles2004/> One of these days is referred to as azmomeg (meaning unknown), and is the Thursday before the wedding where guests are invited to apply henna to the bride.<ref name=Spurles2004/> The other henna ceremony occurs after the wedding ceremony, called the Day of Henna.<ref name=Spurles2004/> On this day, typically an older woman applies henna to the bride after she dips in the [[mikveh]] to ward off evil spirits who may be jealous of the newlyweds.<ref name=Spurles2004/> The groom is also painted with henna after the wedding.<ref name=Spurles2004/> During the groom's henna painting, he commonly wears black clothing, this tradition emerged from the [[Pact of Umar]] as the Jews were not permitted to dress similar to colorful Muslim dress in Morocco.<ref name=Spurles2004/>

 

In Pakistan, henna is often used in [[wedding]]s, [[Eid al-Fitr|Eid ul fitr]], [[Eid al-Adha|Eidul Adha]], milad and other events.<ref>{{cite web|date=4 August 2014|title=A brief history of henna|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/741476/a-brief-history-of-henna/|access-date=19 December 2018|website=The Express Tribune|language=en-US}}</ref> The henna ceremony is known as the [[Rasm-e-Heena]], which is often one of the most important pre-wedding ceremonies celebrated by both the bride and groom's families. The night of [[mehndi]], as the gathering at which the application of the henna is performed, usually falls on the second day of the festivities and one day before the wedding itself. The process commonly involves only the bride and groom but also can include close friends or other family members. The hands of the wedding couple are elegantly painted on this night to act as a sign of their union.

 

In [[Somalia]], henna has been used for centuries, it is cultivated from the leaves of the Ellan tree, which grows wild in the mountainous regions of Somalia. It is used for practical purposes such as dyeing hair and also more extravagantly by coloring the fingers and toes of married women and creating intricate designs.<ref name=":9">{{cite book |last1=Akou |first1=Heather Marie |title=The Politics of Dress in Somali Culture |date=2011 |publisher=Indiana University Press |isbn=978-0-253-22313-5 |page=108 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0Eg-b6EQt-cC&pg=PA108 }}</ref> It is also applied to the hands and feet of young [[Somalis|Somali]] women in preparation for their weddings and all the Islamic celebrations. Sometimes also done by young school girls for several occasions <ref name=":9" />

 

Henna was cultivated in the [[Nasrid kingdom of Granada]] and applied to the face and hair by both sexes.

After the Castilian [[conquest of Granada]] (1492), it was forbidden for [[Morisco]]s as it was a sign distinguishing them from [[Old Christians]].

After the [[expulsion of the Moriscos]] (1609–1614), cultivation ceased.<ref name="Caro">{{cite book|surname=Caro Baroja |first=Julio |author-link=Julio Caro Baroja |title=Los moriscos del Reino de Granada. Ensayo de historia social |year=2000 |edition=5ª |orig-year= 1976 |publisher=Istmo|location=Madrid |isbn=84-7090-076-5 |pages=111–112|language=es-ES}}</ref>

 

[[File:Sudan Culture Woman with Jabana.jpg|thumb|right|Woman with henna-stained hands in [[Khartoum|Khartoum, Sudan]]]]

 

Children also have their hands and feet dyed with henna during their circumcision festivity.

 

In [[Tunisia]], The traditional wedding process begins 8 days before the wedding ceremony when a basket is delivered to the bride, which contains henna.<ref name=":11">{{cite book |last1=Schely-Newman |first1=Esther |title=Our Lives are But Stories: Narratives of Tunisian-Israeli Women |date=2002 |publisher=Wayne State University Press |isbn=978-0-8143-2876-7 |page=55 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uMgho4rZap0C&pg=PA55 }}</ref> The mother of the groom supervises the process in order to ensure all is being done correctly.<ref name=":10">{{cite book |last1=Schely-Newman |first1=Esther |title=Our Lives are But Stories: Narratives of Tunisian-Israeli Women |date=2002 |publisher=Wayne State University Press |isbn=978-0-8143-2876-7 |page=53 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uMgho4rZap0C&pg=PA53 }}</ref> Today, the groom accompanies the bride in the ritual at the henna party, but the majority of henna painting is done on the bride's body.<ref name=":11" />

 

[[File:Henna Istanbul.jpg|thumb|right|Henna being sold at the [[Spice Bazaar|Egyptian Bazaar]] in [[Istanbul]], [[Turkey]]]]

 

During the Victorian era, [[Turkey]] was a major exporter of henna for use in dyeing hair.<ref>Sherrow, Victoria. ''Encyclopedia of Hair: A Cultural History''. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2006. 156.</ref> Henna parties were commonly practiced in Turkey similarly to Arab countries.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Dessing |first1=Nathal M. |title=Rituals of Birth, Circumcision, Marriage, and Death Among Muslims in the Netherlands |date=2001 |publisher=Peeters Publishers |isbn=978-90-429-1059-1 |page=117 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oO0T8ThZ2FkC&pg=PA117 }}</ref>

 

{{One source|section|date=July 2024}}

For [[Yemenite Jews]], most of them living in Israel, the purpose of a henna party is to ward off evil from the couple before their wedding.<ref name=Buse2015>{{cite journal |last1=Buse |first1=William |title=What becomes a bride the most: the Yemenite Jewish henna |journal=Visual Ethnography |date=31 December 2015 |volume=4 |issue=2 |doi=10.12835/ve2015.2-0049 }}</ref> In some areas, the party has evolved from tradition to an opportunity for the family to show off their wealth in the dressing of the bride.<ref name=Buse2015/> For other communities, it is practiced as a ritual that has been passed on for generations.<ref name=Buse2015/> The dressing of the bride is typically done by a post-menopausal woman in the bride's family.<ref name=Buse2015/> Often, the dresser of the bride sings to the bride as she is dressed in exquisite designs.<ref name=Buse2015/> These songs discuss marriage, what married life is like, and address the feelings a bride may have before her wedding.<ref name=Buse2015/> The costumes worn by Yemenite brides to their henna parties is considered some of the most exquisite attire in the Yemenite community.<ref name=Buse2015/> These outfits include robes, headwear, and often several pounds of silver jewelry.<ref name=Buse2015/> This jewelry often holds fresh green herbs to ward off the [[Jinn]] in keeping with the ritual element of the party.<ref name=Buse2015/>