What is Moroccan henna and its symbolism?

Henna is body art, blessing and celebration rolled into one. The dye comes from the dried, ground leaves of the henna plant, mixed into a paste and piped onto the skin in fine lines that, once dry and scraped off, leave a reddish-brown stain lasting a week or two. In Morocco the designs lean geometric and floral — diamonds, dots, vines, the same vocabulary you see in tile and carpet — rather than the denser paisley styles of South Asia.

The deepest meaning of henna here is baraka: blessing and good fortune. It is believed to bring protection, ward off the evil eye, and invite fertility and happiness, which is why it clusters around life's big thresholds. Nothing matters more than the wedding. The "henna night" before a Moroccan wedding is a women's celebration where the bride's hands and feet are elaborately decorated, the rich, dark stain taken as a sign of a strong, blessed marriage — and of the love between bride and groom.

It is not only for brides. Henna marks births and naming ceremonies, religious festivals like Eid, and seasonal celebrations; new mothers and babies may receive it for protection. The application itself is a craft, performed by a specialist — a hennaya or naqasha — who works freehand at remarkable speed, and the gathering around her, with its singing, sweets and mint tea, is as important as the design.

I always offer a gentle word of caution to travellers tempted by henna in tourist squares like Jemaa el-Fna: insist on natural brown henna and avoid anyone offering jet-"black henna," which often contains a chemical dye (PPD) that can burn or scar the skin. Booked properly with a reputable hennaya, though, it is a beautiful, intimate experience — you sit, you are decorated, you carry a little Moroccan blessing home on your skin.