Henna facts for kids

Mehndi (Henna) applied on both hands.

Henna, also known as mehandi or mendhi is a flowering plant. It has been used since ancient times to dye skin, hair, fingernails, leather, cotton, wool and other fabrics. The name is also used for the dye or color preparation derived from the plant, and for the art of making temporary tattoos or designs from these dyes. These henna tattoos are often used in wedding ceremonies.

In addition, the name is also sometimes used, wrongly, for other chemical preparations and dyes that are in fact not made from this plant.

The English name "henna" comes from the Arabic حِنَّاء (or colloquially حنا, loosely pronounced /ħinna/). The natural dye is still mostly used in Arabia, the Middle East, India, and Pakistan.

Images for kids

henna leaves
An elderly Bengali man with a beard dyed in henna.
Henna powder
Elderly Punjabi woman whose hair is dyed with henna
Cosmetic henna for colouring hair
Pashtun man with kohl applied under eyes and beard dyed with henna following the sunnah of the Islamic prophet Muhammed.
Mehndi (henna) applied to the back of both hands in India
Henna pattern on a foot in Morocco
Woman with henna-stained hands in Khartoum, Sudan.
Hand of a Bangladeshi Muslim bride on her wedding day
A Bengali Hindu bodhu boron ceremony welcoming the newlywed bride to her new home, with the feet dipped in a mixture of milk and alta.
Moroccan bride
Henna being sold at the Egyptian Bazaar in Istanbul, Turkey

Henna facts for kids

Images for kids

See also