General Information
Temporary Henna Tattoos is the Western name for Mehndi. The term “Mehndi” comes from India and is referring not just to the act of creating a temporary tattoo but it also refers to the customary traditions that surround it.
 
The Henna Plant is used in many cultures; India, Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Lebanon and other parts of the Middle East. Henna is a finicky plant to work with; each batch of henna will be stronger or weaker in colour and sometimes has slightly different tones to it. The colour can also be altered by different plants that are available in India that I do not have access to here in the West.
 
I DO NOT USE BLACK HENNA – Natural Only!
 

Each culture has different traditions, styles, uses & recipes for henna. Although specific beliefs do differ, most of these cultures view the henna plant as a sacred way to decorate, honour and protect an event or person. For many it is just traditional decoration. For some African tribes that use henna, it is believed that the wearer is protected from evil spirits. The most common and well-known use of henna is for weddings.
 

In India, many brides will hide a private message or name to her groom with the expectation that he has to decipher this message in order to have the right to take her to bed the first time. It is also a custom for some families that as long as the henna is on the bride’s hands & feet, the groom has to do both her duties as well as his own.
 
Traditions in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sudan use henna on bridegrooms as well. In Rajasthan (north-west India), the grooms wear designs that are as intricate as those for brides. In Kerala (south India), henna is known as mylanchi and is commonly used by the Mappila (Muslim) community during weddings and festivals. In Arabic and Persian speaking countries, such as Morocco, it is done for any special occasion. It is done during the seventh month of pregnancy, after having the baby, weddings, engagements, family get-togethers, as well as many other reasons to simply celebrate an event.