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Raindrop Turkish House

Henna Night Print E-mail
kina_gecesi_2.jpg Henna night is a special gathering for the bride and her family and friends. It is thrown a night before the wedding for ladies only.

In Turkish culture generally the henna dying stands for dedication and devotion. It is performed in three occasions; one is for our sheep to sacrifice it to God, one is for our son just before sending him to the military service to sacrifice him for our country just in case, and the last one is for our daughter just before her wedding to resemble her devotion to her new family.

(April 15, 2007, Little Rock, AR)

The wedding ceremony, which is accepted as one of the most important events in a person's life, is like a showcase of our folk culture. In Turkey, weddings start on Friday with henna dying. A flag is hung on top of the roof to announce the wedding. The groom's family sends henna and some appetizers to the bride's house to serve the guest.

Henna must be mixed by a woman who has a happy family life. Before mixing she acts as if it can't be mixed to get a good tip from the bride's mother. The bride wears velvet henna gown with very nice embroidery and a beaded red scarf is placed on her head. The bride's friends sing mournful folk songs to make the bride and her mother cry. The bride closes her hands and doesn't open it until she gets a gold coin from her mother in law. That gold coin and a small piece of henna are place in her palm, and sometimes her whole hand is dyed. Then the entertainment part starts. Everybody dances and have fun. After everybody is gone the bride and her friends continue to have fun, they spend the rest of the night together.

 
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