We’re almost at the halfway mark of Ramadan, and as if on cue, Eid is on our minds. Some of the traditions we look forward to are spending time with our loved ones, exchanging gifts, planning our outfits, and decorating our hands with intricate henna designs. Aside from making a striking visual and flawlessly completing our Eid getups, henna serves other purposes. In our region, henna is a symbol of good luck, with many women opting for designs that range from circular shapes on their palms to intricate geometric patterns on their hands and feet to ward off evil and attract good energy. The appliqué is also thought to offer protection during a pregnant woman’s third trimester and beyond. When Beyoncé recently celebrated the upcoming arrival of her twins with a baby shower, she wore artfully applied spirals by LA-based henna artist Deepali Deshpande on her baby bump.
Today, the body adornment comes in an array of contemporary forms (white, gold, and glitter) and is mostly constrained to special occasions such as weddings and Eid, but many women will get it done simply for decorative purposes. If you need inspiration, click through the gallery ahead for striking henna designs from Instagram to copy/paste into your Eid ritual.
