Sephardic Jews definitely henna!
Posted by Catherine Cartwright Jones on September 09, 1999 at 22:03:19:
In Reply to: Henna and jews posted by zak. on September 09, 1999 at 20:34:42:
I may be Reverend Bunny, but I'm not a Dr. or Phd. Thank you for the
flattery, though....
Yes, Jews definitely do henna, particularly Sephardim. The Jews
who were living in the Middle East and North Africa have henna
traditions that very closely parallel the henna traditions of those
areas. The bride and the groom both are hennaed, and one source says
that the henna, bound between the hands of the bride and the groom,
tied with green ribbons, was the original Jewish wedding ceremony
(Only one source, haven't found corroboration...)
Sephardim celebrate "the Night of the Henna". There is a website that
features a Jewish wedding with details of Jewish henna wedding
tradition, and I'm trying to fine my notes on that...I'll post the url
as a follow up, as I didn't find it on the first try.
Henna predates the Jewish religion in Palestine, and the Jews were
frequently uneasy with the henna practices of their neighbors, the
Canaanites, as their use of henna was part of their worship of the
Goddess, Anath. There are, however, notes in the Old Testament, that
indicate that henna was being grown used and appreciated in Isreael
during the biblical period.
Henna does not pierce the skin, it is not permament, and it is
definitely allowed by Jewish tradition. Henna is only colorant for
nails allowed by Orthodox Judaism.
Henna is not known among the Ashkenazi Jews...(European)....because
..they were so far away from a henna bush for so many centuries that
maintaining the tradition was impossible.
My original henna teacher was an Israeli, who was facinated with all
the henna traditions that came in with all the immigrants moving into
Israel in the '50's and 60's from North Africa, and all over the
Middle East. The Yemini particularly had an excellent henna practice.
Want some Sephardic Jewish henna patterns?