Lalle
The Hausa word for henna, and for the henna party held for the bride.
Also: lalle (Hausa), henna night (Hausa)
Lalle means henna in Hausa, and lalle night or lalle party names the gathering where the bride's hands and feet are painted by relatives and a professional. It is held for the women of the families in Nigeria, Niger and Ghana's Hausa communities, with songs, a feast and gifts for the bride. The designs are a mark of beauty and of the wedding, and how long the stain lasts is sometimes thought to show how loved the bride will be. The same custom is known in many Muslim communities of North Africa and Asia.
Region: Sub-Saharan Africa