Traditional Henna Night is organized in the bride's house the day before the wedding ceremony. The groom's family buys henna and sends it along with cookies and dried fruits to the bride's house. A tray is meticulously prepared with the henna, dried fruits, and desserts. On the night of the henna ceremony, the bride wears an elegant dress and changes into a decorated chiffon costume. Henna is mixed by an unmarried woman and a coin is added for fertility. The bride sits in the center of the room while women sing folk songs. Henna is applied to the bride's hands, which are then covered, before being treated to guests. Whoever finds the gold hidden
2. Traditional henna night is organised in bride’s house
with hospitality the day before of wedding ceremony. All
relatives and friends of bride and groom participate in
henna night. The day of applying henna, a flag is
displayed in bride’s house by groom’s family which is
meant wedding ceremony has begun. Henna is bought by
groom’s family and sent one day before to bride’s house
with some cookies and dried fruits. A tray is prepared
meticulously includes dried fruits, deserts and henna
havla on it what we call “henna tray”.
4. In the beginning of henna night the bride wears an
elegant dress according to region, and then before
applying henna, changes her dress type of chiffon
costume as “bindallı” made by velvet mostly red
decorated and recumbent from shoulders to ankles.
Also bride’s head is covered by a red scarf. Afterward
henna is mixed in a copper pot by a woman who never
divorced yet and has happy marriage. A coin is put in
henna for wishing to bride and groom live in fertility.
6. Before start to applying henna a chair is placed in middle
point of salon/living room. Henna, provided by groom’s family
is decorated with candles on the tray and all women guests
carry one candles on their both hands in copper pots. And
after all women come out to saloon/living room in an order;
firstly a young woman comes out with henna tray in her
hands, secondly bride, and lastly other young women come
and make a circle around the chair by singing a traditional
henna folk song/calypso. Following that ritual the bride sits on
that chair. While she sits on that chair henna folk
song/calypso is sung by women. Main purpose of that folk
song’s reducing the bride tears. The bride has to cry in henna
night. If she does not she is blamed and she is exposed to
funny gossips like “the bride impatient to get marry”..
7.
8. The song goes like this with Turkish and English lyrics;
Yüksek yüksek tepelere ev kurmasınlar -
They shouldn't build homes on the high
hills
Aşrı aşrı memlekete kız vermesinler - They
shouldn't give girls to faraway cities
Annesinin bir tanesini hor görmesinler -
They shouldn't upset the mother's one and
only
Uçan da kuşlara malum olsun - May the
birds carry the message
Ben annemi özledim - I miss my mother
Hem annemi hem babamı - Both my
mother and father
Ben köyümü özledim - I miss my village
9.
10. When henna is applied women say
“Bride do not open her
hand” thereon groom’s relatives
put a gold into bride’s hand. But in
today’s generation a key of a house
or a car is accepted :)
11.
12. Henna is applied to bride’s already opened hands, a red
scarf is tied up around her both hands and two velvet
gloves are worn. After applying henna the scarf is
removed which covers head of bride and henna is
treated to guests. Whoever find the gold in henna which
hidden before treated, she is accepted the next fortunate
bride candidate. After all that traditional activities
women continue to sing folk songs and dances till late
hours.
