Kına Gece (Henna Night)

Since I have been living here I have been intrigued with the idea of going to a Kına Gece. Of course I have never heard of it before I came here, and I must say, I only wanted to go to settle this curiosity. I, honestly must add that I wanted to go to see, but I have never really thought of it as in interest for me to participate. 
  For my readers outside Turkey or those that do not know what Henna night is, Let me tell you as an outsider what it is. 
 It is usually held the night before a couple gets married. Sometimes a few days but usually the night before the Bride and Groom marry. What it entails is the Bride will invite those whom wish to see her in a small Ceremony if you can say. It is like a right of passage for lack of better words. 
 The Bride will have it in the street of her neighborhood, sometimes in a large event hall, and the evening will start with a meal given by the Bride and Grooms families. Sometimes, just the Bride's family. 
  She will be dressed in a silk pant and shirt with a jacket that is as long as the pants. The pants are gathered at the bottom and her head is covered with a hat that is squared on the top and everything is very intricately embroidered. (pictures will follow) Traditionally the Groom wears a traditonal Turkish outfit but modern Grooms are not wearing them anymore.
The Groom, bride and families will dance after eating and sharing their meal with the guests. 
  After a while of dancing and Brides dances and Grooms dances, the ceremony will begin. 
 The Bride will lower her veil over her face, and girls will come out with the bride and they will walk in a circle around her as she sits in the middle. A decorated tray will have the Kına on it and they will go around her while music (traditional Kına songs) is played. 
After the tray is brought to the middle of the circle, the Mother of the Bride and Groom will sit in front of the Bride and each will put Henna on her hands and then put a gold coin on her hand then cover her hands with a silk glove type mitten to keep the henna from going all over everything. 
 The Groom will come and carry her off, as a sign that she is leaving home and starting a new home with her husband. 
  This is a very big tradition in Turkey, and I was invited to go to a couple of them. I had the chance of going to one. It was Long Rock's cousin's Kına Night. Here are the pictures of that night. 
 I wanted to go to a friends of mine as she is really close to me but Long Rock told me to chose between Kına or Her Wedding, and since I was doing her Wedding bouquet and her Flowers for the Groom and two of the family members, I was compelled to go that. Sadly and traumatically I did not make it to that either. Maybe someday I can blog about it but right now I am not compelled to speak about the details as to why I did not make it to such a sweet friend's wedding. I will post those Kına Night pictures now

Sister in Law (brother's wife) passing the tray to the bride. Tray is with Kına

Bride's family placing the Kına on the left hand

Groom's family placing the Kına on the Right hand

After the Kına is placed, the two families dance

Bride's mother on the Left, Grooms mother on the right, Bride in the Middle

Groom, Bride's mother, Bride, Groom's mother

Girl with the butterfly shirt is an unknown person. But she seemed like a friend or cousin of the Bride...

Two Families do some more dancing

Bride's mother, Groom, Bride's sister in law, bride's Brother, Bride's nephew, Bride's dad. One big happy family