Re: fasting & henna

Posted by Catherine Cartwright Jones on January 09, 2000 at 00:26:55:

In Reply to: Re: fasting & henna posted by Kenzi on January 09, 2000 at 00:11:51:

Yes, you're not supposed to henna during Ramadan. To some people,
henna seemed too much like a celebration of living, loving and
sensuous pleasures to be quite in line with Ramadan. (contemplative,
abstinent....sort of?)

There is another holiday, Mahurram (sp?) celebrated in Iran and
Pakistan, that you don't henna for the 40 days because it is sort of
annual grieving for a martyr. I've got the info on it somewhere here,
but not right at hand. Mahurram, too, ends with a massive celebration
and out comes the henna. In 19th century Pakistan and Muslim India,
at the end of Mahurram, part of the parade festivities would be people
carring big platters of henna paste, and everyone would dip in!

I get the feeling that both are comparable to Lent, and I wonder how
closely all are connected with an annual period of grieving for the
god of vegetation (a winter thing) followed by the celebration of new
life and spring ... numerous connected legends from the Middle East
from 3000 BCE to 500 BCE or so .... have in their social practices
some very similar bits. One similar bit is that you henna after the
abstinent period ends.....

Follow-ups:

• Re: fasting & henna Kenzi 05:29:02 1/10/00 (0)
• Re: fasting & henna Eliz. 20:19:46 1/09/00 (2)
  • Re: fasting & henna Kenzi 00:54:26 1/11/00 (1)
    • Re: fasting & henna Eliz. 18:18:53 1/12/00 (0)