The henna ceremony is an ancient ceremony performed by Yemenite and other Eastern Jewish communities. The henna is actually a plant that is ground up. Here are pictures from our henna ceremony. It took place in Rehovot 10 days before our wedding.
Henna comes from the Arabic: hinnâ'. Henna is a cosmetic paste that is solely used for decoration, and is not connected to any health advantages. Henna comes from the leaves of the plant with the same name. These are crushed into a green powder, that is being sold in suqs all over the Arab world. To this powder, water is added, so that it becomes a dough that is put to the body. After leaving the dough on the body for some time, up to 2 hours, a deep orange color is left on the skin that will slowly fade away over a period of 2- 3 weeks. The henna is often arranged to intricate patterns, and it is the hands or the feet that are decorated.
Henna is used almost only by women, and is in our days when it is used by women that are in the age where beautifying is natural — young women that are ready to get married, or women that have a romantic relationship with their husbands. Henna is considered very sensual by both men and women, even if the henna is applied to the parts of the body that are exposed in public. This also applies to married women.Henna is also used for dying hair, but is seldom used for coloring other items, like clothes.




This is Orit in the first of three costumes that she wore during the evening. Each one represents a different part of Yemen.



This is Shlomo at the henna. He wore two costumes during the evening.