When my husband and I arrived at our farmer’s humble home, we were told that we were the second guests they ever had in their lives! They had invited us to stay with them, and we planned to spend the night. Being the primary purchasers of their annual harvest, we were Very Important Guests, indeed, and they treated us like royalty—much to my consternation. We arrived around lunchtime, and they rolled out the delicacies, which involved a lot of meat. At dinner, a savory lamb stew was served. The next morning, chicken graced the menu. I realized that if we didn’t get out of there fast, we would bankrupt them! Economic hardship is the meal of the day for this family. When I asked where the toilet was, I was taken to a small bush out in the desert and given a roll of toilet paper; and I was happy for the toilet paper!
But no matter the awe-inspiring landscape of my new and fascinating surroundings, what I was most excited about was the opportunity to get a traditional Moroccan henna tattoo session with the family matriarch.
Out in the desert, where henna’s cooling properties come in very handy, they don’t bother with fancy designs. The palms and soles of the feet are simply covered with henna, leaving you with what I always thought was the dopest look: red hands and feet. Kind of subversive and too cool for words.
She had me lie down on a narrow cot, and using her own hands as a brush, proceeded to lovingly apply her homemade henna paste to my hands and feet. Talk about traditional henna tattoos! Afterwards, she wrapped them in toilet paper and for the next six hours, I had to be fed and carried like a total princess!
When we got back to town the next day, a guy in the marketplace noticed my red hands and said to me, “Oh, just like the old ladies do it.” Yes, sir. Just the way I like it!
That was back in the 1990s. Unfortunately, due to devastating drought conditions, the family that used to provide us with our henna had to abandon their farm. They moved to the city, and we are still in touch with them today, and help out whenever we can. The henna in our kits now come from a wonderful Indian company, which gives back to the employees who harvest their henna by paying for their children’s education. Time moves on, the very real effects of climate change are undeniable, but henna tattoos continue to retain their charm!