The art of Henna

Used for centuries (since 1200 BC) Henna has/isboth used for cosmetic and traditional purposes.  Henna was first used in India, Africa, and the Middle East where is is believed that Henna brings love and good fortune, and it is usually used in Hindu wedding ceremonies.  Before the wedding a bride's feet and palms are decorated with beautiful, intricate henna designs because the art of Henna signifies the strength of love in a marriage. It is said that the longer the Henna stays on the Bride's hand, the longer it is believed that her in-laws will treat her well, but if the Henna fades quickly, it is seen as a sign that the woman will not be happily married. In Saudi Arabia the Henna is applied to the bride by one of her female relatives, but she has to be happily married otherwise she will bring bad luck to the bride.
But before Henna was used for beauty it was used for cooling purposes.  Women used to create a Henna paste in which they soaked their hands and feet in.  Soaking themselves in Henna created a cooling effect which was extremely helpful in the hot climate.  After soaking in the Henna they noticed faint designs which provided the idea for using Henna to make these intricate designs.

The first time I used Henna was when I was at a friend's birthday party three years ago.  The Henna I used had an herbal smell that I won't forget.  I kept the Henna on for about 20 or 30 minutes until it was dry enough that I could brush it off.  It left a light brown design that stayed on for a week or two.  Since the Henna we used was the cone-designed dispenser, it was hard to create the thinner lines or to create a very intricate design.
Not only was/is Henna used for creating designs on the skin, but Henna is also used for hair.  In Ancient Egypt Henna has been used for six thousand years as a hair dye.  Usually the Egyptians used Henna to dye the hair of their mummies.  Popularity for Henna grew with the fashion for Orientalism, (refers to the East) which encouraged women to die their hair with Henna. French painters and impressionists popularized also popularized henna-dyed hair with their art.
Traditions of henna as body art are not limited to weddings, but are also very popular among young and pregnant women.  Between 1500 and 500 BCE young women would adorn their bodies for social and holiday celebrations.  There is also evidence of women marking themselves with Henna in preparation to meet their husbands.
Henna is still very popular in India, Africa, the Middle East, and recently, America.  Henna is very important to countries with women who are discouraged from working outside the home because they can perform the socially acceptable work of applying Henna.
Henna is a beautiful tradition that originated centuries ago, and never stopped being a very large part of the lives of millions of people.