Traditions of
Marriage
In
Morocco: Preceding the
Wedding with Henna
In some parts of Morocco, tradition
requires that five days before the wedding, the bride has a ceremonial bath,
then is painted with henna swirls on hands and feet, and adorned with makeup and
jewels by other women.
For centuries, elaborate henna has
been applied to Moroccan brides. The night before the wedding, the bride and
other women gather together for the henna ritual. The bride receives the most
elaborate designs, while the other women are often patterned with lesser
designs, covering only small portions of the body. Within the bride’s henna
design is often found the name of the groom. Further, a bride is not expected to
perform any housework until her henna has faded.
The wedding henna ritual has a
deeper purpose than mere aesthetic beauty. During the evening of the henna
party, the older, married women share the secrets of marriage with the
bride-to-be. Moroccan women continue the tradition to this day. However, there
are some women in
“modern” direction. This is not to say that women with henna are not “modern,”
but rather demonstrating the various views of henna within the Moroccan
context.
Before becoming guardian of her hearth, the Moroccan bride
circles her marriage home three times.
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