January 30, 2008
Henna ceremonies mark rite of passage for Turkish brides-to-be
The lyrics of a traditional Turkish wedding song describe a lonely bride far from her family, but for Turkish women living in Pittsburgh, hearing the song helped them feel closer to home.
Participants used henna to stain the skin of a faux bride-to-be during the re-creation of an ancient pre-marriage ritual Saturday at the West Penn Cultural Center in Dormont.
The natural plant dye marks a woman’s palm with a simple red-orange circle to show her devotion to her groom’s family. The henna design remains on the woman’s skin for about a month.
Mixed with olive oil and lemon juice to make a mud-like paste, the henna is applied by the future mother-in-law, who applies it with her fingers. As the bride’s friends and family sing, the betrothed is expected to shed tears under her red veil for the family she is leaving.
“You kind of remember your own henna night, how you felt that night,” said Canan Gunes Corlu, who moved from Turkey to Squirrel Hill a year-and-a-half ago after her wedding. “I’m very far from my country, but I have the same feelings.”
Daughters generally remain in closer contact with their families after marriage than was possible centuries ago, but the henna night tradition remains meaningful.
“When you keep the henna, it’s saying ‘I’m entering this new family and I am devoted to them,’ ” said Corlu, 23. [ source : pittsburghlive.com ]
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