One of our wedding traditions:Turkish Henna Night

 (Prepared by Şule D. Tes-İş Adapazarı Anatolian High School /Senem Sönmez)

       Arranging "Henna Night" is one of our wedding traditions.It  is arranged one day or a few days before the wedding.

                   

                            (Photo taken by Şule )

 

       On the day the henna will be applied, a flag is hung in the girl's house. Hanging the flag means that the wedding has begun. Henna to be applied to the bride is taken by the boy's family. Most of the time the cookies are sent to the bride’s house  before  henna  night. They may also  be  taken on the way while going to bride’s home on the day of  henna night . Cookies, sweets, henna buns or henna halva are available. Those coming from the boy's house are welcomed and hosted at the girl's home.

      In the evening  the bride first wears an elegant dress, but before the henna is applied, she changes and wears a velvet-like caftan-type garment called "Bindallı".It is a very beautiful ornamented traditional dress. The bride's head is covered with a red veil.Meanwhile in a silver or copper bowl, henna is prepared  by a girl.The girl/woman should be someone who has never separated from her parents.

                             

                                   "Bindallı" worn at henna night

                                    (References: www.ceyyiz.com)

      When it is ready, the henna, brought by the male side, is put in a tray and decorated with candles. Young girls are given a candle to put  inside their hands. They hold the candles  in a row on the right and left sides and the bride and groom come through the row under the  candles held by the girls.A chair is put in the middle of the hall.The bride and the groom sit on their  chairs.The henna songs called yakim are sung. The aim is to create an emotional environment and thus make the bride cry. When henna is applied on the bride's hand, the bride does not open her hand at once.(as she expects a kind of gift –gold- from the groom’s family).Here people say  "The bride does not open her hand ... The bride does not open her hand " When she receives her gift –most of the time gold-  henna is applied to the hands of the bride on her palm.She wears gloves and waits for some time till it is completely applied on the skin. Henna  can be applied to the groom as well. He also wears gloves.

         When henna is being applied to bride&groom

      After applying henna, the night  goes on with  dances and songs and of course with delicious traditional sweets/nuts/cookies.