Editorail by Mario Ferazzano:

The origin of hookah and how it came to America

Hookah smoking is a tradition that has been prevalent in the societies of many countries of the world for hundreds of years. Although, the exact origins of hookah pipes in unsure but many historians believe that the hookah originated in India or Persia, and hookah usage has been a part of the history and culture of many other Middle Eastern countries like Turkey. In these countries, a hookah was a necessary part of every evening social gathering where it was typically placed at the centre of the gathering and each person was allowed to take a puff of the hookah in turn. Although, the shape and usage method of the traditional hookah was different, the Turkish people were the first ones to revolutionize the hookah to make it easier to use for daily use and to incorporate it into their daily lifestyles.

A hookah is also referred to as a Sheesha, Nargile, waterpipe or hubbly bubbly and it looks like a long cylindrical glass instrument with a glass bowl at the bottom and a small head at the top on which the sweetened tobacco is placed which is covered with a piece of foil. A long rubber hose connects with this main glass instrument and converts the tobacco into smoke which is passed through to a mouthpiece. A user would take a puff on this mouthpiece and exhale smoke.

The basic purpose of contemporary hookahs is more of a social activity than a traditional smoking one. Moreover, many people also prefer hookahs with various fruity flavors like apple, mint, banana, strawberry and rose. The hookah was basically introduced into the West through the influx of immigrants from the East who moved to the West and brought with them their traditions. Hookah smoking is still relatively a new social objective in USA and is getting popular mainly among the youth and students who are found in various clubs, cafes and bars sitting in groups of four or five with a single hookah placed in front of them and puffing on the mouthpiece in turn.

However, hookah smoking as well as preparing a hookah is nothing short of an art and the better prepared a hookah, the more you can enjoy the hookah. It usually lasts for 20 to 40 minutes and is commonly shared between two to three people. Smoking hookahs is also a generally more accepted social activity than smoking cigarettes, the smoke of which can be pretty irritating as compared to the relatively neutral or fruity smoke of a hookah. Also, a hookah is unlikely to contain any dangerous chemicals and a very slight percentage of nicotine; it is not an addictive activity and its immediate effect will only be a slight light-headedness. Needless to say, the hookah is becoming popular rapidly in many countries not to mention in the Western modern world where smoking hookah is more of a social activity that is meant to encourage social gatherings and integrate societies rather than solely a smoking activity meant for leisure.

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www.thehookahmonster.com