From tree to paste
Henna comes from the henna tree, a deciduous tree of hot regions whose leaves are harvested twice a year. Its branches and leaves are also used in crafts.
The leaves are dried, ground and made into a paste. The ingredients and techniques change with the use and from country to country, and knowing how to grow and care for the tree is part of the tradition.
Joy on the hands
Women most often use henna to decorate or dye their hair, fingertips, hands and feet. It is linked with joy and appears in daily life and at births and weddings, often to the sound of chants, songs, proverbs and poems.
Families pass it on by doing it together; today beauty salons, schools and the media help too. UNESCO listed henna in 2024 on a joint nomination from sixteen Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia.