[Photograph of an individual applying henna (mehndi) at Stanley Park in Vancouver]

Photograph of an unidentified individual applying henna (mehndi) at Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia (B.C.). Individuals had gathered at Stanley Park for a cricket match.

The art of Henna—called mehndi in Hindi and Urdu—has been practiced in Pakistan, India, Africa, and the Middle East for over 5000 years. It was originally used for its natural cooling properties for the people living in hot desert climates. Today, Henna is mainly used in celebration of special occasions such as weddings and birthdays in the joyous gathering of people.

Cricket is a bat-and-ball team sport where the batting side tries to score as many runs as possible while the bowling side attempts to get batters out, also known as taking wickets, and restrict the flow or runs. The team with the highest number of runs wins a match. Should both teams be unable to complete their number of turns before the time allotted, the match is declared a draw. The bats used in cricket are constructed from high-grade willow and the balls are made of leather stitched onto a cork core.

Stanley Park had its grand opening in 1888, as Vancouver's first and largest urban park. The 400-hectare park is located in the midst of the urban landscape of Vancouver, with trails, beaches, wildlife, cultural and historical landmarks, and Canada's largest aquarium.