A Henna party is a cultural event that takes place before the wedding day, and the main purpose of it is to celebrate and bless the bride and the groom with good luck and health and protect them from the “evil eye”.
Henna parties are popular in many countries, especially in the Middle East and North Africa, and the rituals of the event are different and depend on the bride’s family ethnic background due to the fact that the henna party is typically organized by the bride’s family.
The henna party is a colorful ceremony with traditional clothing that the bride and groom wear and often change through the evening, and the guests are also encouraged to change into the traditional clothes provided by the host.
After some dancing and feast, the henna ceremony begins. Jewelry gifts are given to the bride and groom by their families, and then a henna paste is applied by the bride’s mother or grandmother on the palms of the bride and groom (as a blessing).
Afterward, the palms of the hands of all the guests will be hennaed one by one, and they, too, will be blessed with good luck.
The henna paste is a natural dye made from the powdered leaves of the henna plant, and is left on the skin for several hours to allow the dye to stain the skin. Then, the stain gradually darkens over the next 24-48 hours and typically lasts for 1-2 weeks.
Henna parties are considered an important cultural tradition in many communities, and they hold deep significance for the bride and her family.
My henna party was in a Libyan style (my mom’s ethnic background), so all the attires, the hall’s design, the music and the food were based on Libyan’s culture and traditions.
My henna party will be engraved in my memory for life, and I was honored to celebrate my cultural heritage, as my mom, my grandma, my great-grandma, and so on were celebrated many years ago.
Published: Apr 15, 2023
Latest Revision: Apr 15, 2023
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