Author(s): GülÅah HALICI
It is known that there are traditional ceramonies which are peculiar to every societies cultures in the marriage process. One of these special ceramonies in Turkish folk culture is henna nights. These henna nights which were previously organized as home parties are organized now in popular bars, SPA centers, hotels or karaoke bars today. Nowadays it is observed that: as the people miss more and more earlier days and nostalgy passion arise, these traditions which have been forgetten by time is now again in the life of modern society by a new style and in new places (hotel, spa, bar). As the fast development in the informatics technology affects every kind of individual and social lifes, it also affects the henna nights which is one of the intangible cultural heritage of Turkey. It is possible to evaluate this interaction both from positive or negative sides. It can be evaluated as a negative situation to organize henna nights by being affected by social networks and media as artificial henna nights, henna nights entertainment (pajama parties, hen parties etc. before wedding). However, in general these applications are not efficient enough to substitute the henna nights and proliferation process. As these people who run after these kind of novelties and pleasures understand that the henna traditions should be experienced naturally, they could not be actors to be prevalant of these new traditions. On the other hand, it is very important for our cultural wealth to share the traditional henna nights in social websites and media. Besides it is also important that these henna nights * Dr. Ö?r. Üyesi, Yozgat Bozok Üniversitesi, Fen Edebiyat Fakültesi, Türk Dili ve Edebiyat? Bölümü, email: gulsah.yuksel1@gmail.com - 96 - are popularized and preserved in television series and magazine programmes. In this context, we can say that henna nights are open to some changes and novelties as they are being effected from todays life, but still it protects its nature. Especially in the regions where the traditional life is still densely experienced, henna nights conserve their earlier importance and form. Today especially in the cities, understanding of the henna nights both appropriate to tradition and modernity is widespread. Recently there are companies which organize weddings and henna nights in the cities and they give professional services by offering several alternatives. Also, producing suitable objects for traditional henna nights such as bindall?, kaftan, red tyre which is processed by flakes, henna glove, belt etc has an important role to preserve nature of henna traditions. We must evaluate the henna traditions which is an important ritüel in the marriage process as national cultural wealth but also economic value-added. In this study the henna nights are examined under these topics: “Henna Nights in the Traditional Culture”, “Henna Nights in the Popular Culture”, “Cultural Transfer of Henna Nights and Preserving them by making them popular”, “The Economical Output of Henna Nights in Popular and Traditional Sense”.
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