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In Northern India, the beautiful practice of Mehendi has been part of wedding ceremonies for hundreds of years. The word Mehendi, technically the name of a small tropical shrub, refers to the practice of decorating the bride's hands with reddish dye that is made from leaves of this plant. Traditionally, the bridesmaids gather before the wedding and apply Mehendi to the bride. This takes hours and gives them a chance to have quality "girl talk" before the wedding. The reddish/brown color of the dye symbolizes the prosperity that the bride will bring her new family, and it is often thought that the darker the color, the more the bride's mother-in-law will love her. As if that's not enough to convince her to go dark, she is also not expected to do any housework until the dye wears off. Darker is indeed better! The practice of using henna to dye the hands is a widespread nuptial tradition. In popular culture, Mehendi has become a substitute for tattoo art. It offers the same intricacy of design without the pain or permanence of real tattoos.