People apply mehndi / henna in India during religious celebrations, like the Hindu New Year - Diwali, as well as during weddings, baby showers and other social occasions. At weddings in India, all the women gather at a mehndi party, two days before the wedding ceremony, to apply their mehndi / henna . . . so, not only is mehndi / henna a beautification process, but it is a very social bonding experience as well. Bridal mehndi / henna, which covers the hands up to the elbows and feet up to the knees, can take at least 8 hours to complete . . . and this time certainly does not include the time it takes to dry! While the bride is waiting, the women at the party spend the time singing songs and making jokes (in general) about the bride and her groom. Traditionally, in large cities only women apply mehndi / henna, but at some very auspicious occasions young boys are permitted to wear it. In villages, both genders can wear mehndi / henna. It can be said that Indian women like mehndi to a form of a makeup (in addition to face makeup). Mehndi / henna has no true purpose in religion itself; it is meant to enhance beauty, way back when mehndi / henna was used as a form of jewelry and intricate decoration at the marriage ceremony because actual jewelry was not worn, and traditionally the women's body was to be completely covered. Other rumors about mehndi / henna said that, the darker the bride's mehndi / henna stain, the more her husband loves her. Also, within the bridal mehndi / henna the husband's name is usually written, so he must find his name in her mehndi / henna before the couple marries. Another rumored tradition is that for the lengths of time that the bride's mehndi / henna stays after the wedding ceremony, she is not required to do any household work. Some Indian women choose to wear mehndi / henna daily if they are artists or have the time to apply it that often. Muslim women in villages paint their hands and feet red daily as well.