There are many words for henna: mehandi, mehndi, camphire & kopher. The henna plant, Lawsonia inermis, is a small tree that is grown commercially in parts of Northern Africa, the Middle East, Pakistan and India. It grows best in hot, dry climates. Once the tree reaches maturity, the leaves are harvested, dried and ground into a fine powder.
Henna traditions extend across North and East Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. Thanks to emigration as well as the world wide web, henna traditions are finding new practitioners all around the world.
Despite being used in many different cultures around the world, henna use tends to have a common thread among all of them - celebration! Henna is used during weddings, baby showers, coming of age ceremonies and other special events. Henna is also enjoyed for body adornment - for anyone who wants to feel beautiful!
