Henna Designs

A couple weeks ago, I chaperoned a 7th grade field trip to the Renaissance Festival. Falconry and fun, fun, fun.

The boys grabbed a bite to eat and sat down to watch the acrobats. The stage happened to be right next to a henna booth, so I... kept one eye on the kids and ran off to get a design on my arm. It takes all of two minutes to get a small one done.

Now, when I lived in Abu Dhabi, I used to have henna on my hands and feet. Roses and scrolls, and all lovely sorts of flowers. That took a long time to dry. I keep things a little more discrete here in NC- just in case.

I picked a small dragon and the artist applied the design where long sleeves would hide the whole thing. Henna only lasts two weeks anyway. (This design is a couple of inches, enlarged here for detail.)

My sleeve rolled up, I went back to the boys.

Darling son rolls his eyes at me.

His friend says "Ooo. How much was that? I want one."

Chaperone Me cringes. : "What if your parents don't like it?" Maybe I shouldn't have said that. I think I sealed the deal.

Two of them run off to get designs done. One gets the same design as mine. The other selects a scary six-inch dragon. Claws and all - it looked ginormous on that small boy. I had a flash to the future where he is covered in ink. And I hope the parents don't hate me for it, but really - if that's what he wants, someday he's going to get it done. Right? (Help me here. I feel a little bit guilty.)

As they sat waiting for the precious design to dry, boy number one asked me - "How is henna part of the Renaissance?" This kid is thinking tattoos are a new thing - I can see it in his eyes.

Hmm. "Well - Remember the Crusaders from the middle ages? They went east and lots of ideas came back with them. During the Renaissance, there was trade with the east. And henna is a very old art. Older than the Renaissance."

Further:

From my previous posts you know, in the east, henna is mostly used for celebrations like weddings or feast days now. It originated in the fields, where women dyed their hands as a protection from the harsh work of the harvest.

This is my first ever ejderha - dragon design. In Turkey, and in many other eastern cultures, the use of animal designs is frowned upon or even forbidden. This stems from a firm stance against idolatry. 

Some beduoins tattoo themselves with black tribal markings, but I like henna (aka kına or mehndi) because it's temporary. Next time I can get something else that suits my fancy. Ink is too permanent for me.

Rules of Engagement

Methods of courtship everywhere have changed over time, but something about the rite makes us pine for tradition. In Turkey, even the most progressive families stick to the old standard to some degree.

The söz kesme, or promise, is the first stage. The man’s family visits for coffee to request the hand of the bride. They bring flowers, usually roses, and a silver tray of chocolates or sweets. Traditionally the girl would serve the coffee. These days everybody has most likely met before and it's just an occasion for a pleasant social call with some friends and family. Some people combine this step with the engagement party.

An engagement ceremony is like a mini-wedding. Two bands, bound by a red ribbon, are placed on the right hand of the couple. The ribbon is cut by a witness and the man's family gives the bride some more gold jewelry, a necklace, bracelets, etc. Some gifts are given to the woman for her wardrobe. If the engagement is broken, the jewelry is usually returned. Sometimes a western influenced solitaire might be given.

A popular band for the woman is the interlocking promise ring (above). If the puzzle ring is removed, the bands fall apart, meaning the wearer has been unfaithful.

http://www.jewelrypuzzlerings.com/products

This is a clip of a ribbon cutting. Notice the blending of East and West. The girl wears a scarf, but gets a solitaire and the dress of the show host is less than traditional.: