Chaand Raat! Beautiful Henna Designs To Celebrate The End Of Ramadan

Eid Mubarak! Ramadan, the long month of fasting, has ended, and now Muslims around the globe are celebrating the festive holiday of Eid ul-Fitr.

Observant Muslims will attend congregational prayers, give donations to charity, gather together with friends and family, eat special foods, and give each other gifts. New clothes are bought for this occasion, and many women will decorate their hands with henna, also known as mehndi or mehendi.

The mehendi paste, made up of the powdered leaves of the henna tree, is applied with fine-tipped cones. The intricate designs are drawn onto the hands and feet and left to dry for a few hours or over night. When the dried paste flakes away, a rich, red color is left.

The day before Eid is known as Chaand Raat, or the "Night of the Moon." It is a celebration mainly observed in Pakistan and India, where women apply henna designs, do Eid shopping, and prepare foods to be eaten the next day.

Here are some beautiful henna designs to inspire you this Eid: