Henna Wedding Tradition
However another common tradition is to hide the groom s name somewhere in the henna design and have the groom find it.
Henna wedding tradition. Mehndi otherwise known as henna is a paste associated with positive spirits and good luck. It s a tradition for mother in law to place a gold coin in the bride s palm. As you watched in the video someone reminds the mother in law by saying the bride is not opening her hands.
The tradition is a symbolic way to shower the bride and groom with what they hope. The ashkenazim immediately before the wedding ceremony perform the ritual of bedeken in which the groom places the veil on the bride to recall the story of our patriarch jacob who did not realize that he was married to leah and not rachel until it was too late. Person applying the henna takes some from the tray and places it in the middle of the bride s palm together with the gold coin.
If the henna fades out quickly it s a sign you will not be happily married. During a henna party artists use a paste made from dried henna leaves to paint intricate patterns on the hands of the bridal party. As for the groom his pinky is painted with henna on the 6th day.
In india the longer your henna stays on your hand the longer it is believed your in laws will treat you well. Henna can also be found in tunisian weddings where their henna parties last for up to 7 days as well as in sudan where it symbolizes a married woman s devotion for her husband. Indian wedding tradition calls for a mehndi ceremony to be held the night before the wedding as a way of wishing the bride good health and prosperity as she makes her journey on to marriage.
Countries including saudi arabia turkey and palestine are all known to use henna during weddings. While the practice of wearing henna tattoos on one s hands on their wedding is still a staple in hindu cultures many people use henna dyes to sport temporary tattoos on their bodies. On the 3rd day the bride wears a traditional dress and has henna painted on her hands and feet.
Israel s mizrahi jews who migrated from north african and middle eastern countries perform a lavish henna ceremony before weddings to bless the future bride and groom. In many muslim and hindu weddings it is tradition to have a henna party before the wedding. In tunisia the henna celebrations last for 7 days.