If you catch a glimpse of a woman’s hands with intricate designs in brown or orange, chances are that she is married or about to be. The designs are done professionally in a special dye that wears off after a few weeks.
A woman’s wedding day is universally regarded as her big day. For most Egyptian brides-to-be, her henna day is just as big.
The traditions on these ‘big days’ vary from one country and even from one family to another.
Some brides prefer their henna and wedding parties according to Islamic ritual, i.e. no elaborate music, and men and women guests are strictly segregated.
Shaimaa Hussein is a henna party organiser, who started her business four years ago. What makes her events different is the tambourine and hand-clapping to make rudimentary musical accompaniment.
Some brides who wear the niqab (full face veil) prefer not to have music at all, not even for the wedding day.
Hussein tells her clients that she will be with them every step of the way and make your day as you always dreamt of it.
“These words make them feel relaxed,” Hussein told the Egyptian Mail. “Brides usually feel stressed because of the many things they have to do before their wedding day, so we try to pamper them for her henna and wedding occasions,” she added.
She asks when will her henna/wedding day be? Where will it take place? What is in your imagination? What do you like the most?
“The answer of these questions is like a compass for me to arrange everything the bride likes,” Hussein said.
There are conditions: The venues must have a changing-room for the lady, no photographers, no men and no boys older than 5.
One of the most popular ways to celebrate henna day is to put on a dance for the guests.
She invites her friends and relatives of the feminine gender to sing and dance on her henna day.
“We only use the tambourine without any other music in the party,” Hussein said. “We not only sing special Islamic songs, but we can also sing all the songs the bride wants, but without music,” Hussein said. The entire band wears niqab.
The guests bring the hennana (the one who does henna for the bride), who usually decorates the bride’s body first, then for her guests.
“We also give the bride-to-be costumes for the bride to make a unique show,” Hussein said. “The bride has as many as a dozen outfits for the henna party.”
Most of Hussein’s clients wear the niqab and they choose costumes that are typical of the region. Some prefer to dress up in Spanish, Indian or Hawaiian styles or like pop stars Haifa Wahby or Nancy Ajram and Ruby.
“We sing the songs that suit the costumes worn by the bride using the tambourine and clapping hands,” Hussien said. “We encourage the people to interact with us,” she added.
“Our band contains ten girls, each one of us has a role with the bride,” Hussien said. “Two are responsible for the costumes and accessories that the bride wears each time. Two are responsible for choosing the songs that suit the costumes, all of us are responsible for making the bride and the guests interact with singing, clapping and dancing,” she added.
“We also can arrange a buffet if the bride asks,” Hussein said. “We do pretty much the same for the wedding except for the costume changes (She wears only a white dress.
“Islamic-style henna parties are no less enjoyable than any other, but for the music,” she said. “We do our best to make the bride happy and enjoy her day to the max.”
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