HENNA HEN PARTY PICS

For fun, the ladies and I decided to get henna tattoo on our hands and legs. Traditionally, henna has been a bride experience for over 5000 years in many cultures in Africa, South Asia and the Middle East. My mother is originally from Rabai on the coast of Kenya. We grew up around the use of henna. It seemed natural to include the tradition as a fun activity.

So many of the women around me, friends and family, indulged in the henna tattooing from an artist, Hadija. The designs were different for each person. Hadija didn't have to think about what she was drawing on their hands or feet. She went with the flow. Everyone seemed pleased with the results.

Below is Hadija tattooing my legs:



She starts from the bottom and works her way up.



Inspired, she has the fowers winding up my ankles towards my ankles and calves.



Beleive it or not, she is fast. This did not take hours to complete. Each foot and leg took her about seven to ten minutes.



My only problem was staying still long enough for the henna to dry.



Now these decorated legs were worth the trouble!

The designs are temporary and fade away after a few weeks. While it is on the body it is a constant reminder of the special events surrounding the wedding. New brides are traditionally excused from housework until their henna patterns fade away. The henna designs are to mark the bride, she is queen for the day, and thus must stand out as such.



These are Skookies and my hands, beautifully decorated by Hadija.



Henna-ed hands of a few of my guests.



My cousin, Ahenda, did something different, she had her back tattoed.



My other cousin, who happens to be six months pregnant at the time, got her belly tattooed.



Ahem... yet another cousin, Sally, got her lower back tattoed.



And lastly, me... being cheeky, I got my... uh... tattooed. :-D

Hope you enjoy the pictures of what we did!