The Plait

A plait is made by three or more strands of hair intertwined together. It is commonly known as a braid. Many horses also have their tails and manes plaited before they go to a horse shows. Hair braiding is thought to have originated from East Africa. The oldest image of hair braiding has been traced back to a burial site, ‘Saqqara’ on the River Nile. 

Traditionally, braiding is a social art. Because it takes so long to braid hair, women would socialize while getting their hair done.  In America,  mothers and grandmothers braid and put different beads in to their children’s hair, which continues on a  tradition of bonding between the old and their young.

Plaiting also used to be a way of communication so at a glance one could get information about another, such as whether they were married.  Braiding hair from the the scalp has been a tradition in many African ethnic groups such as the Tuareg, Yoruba and the Tigraway, ethnic groups of America such as the Sioux, Inca, and the Aztec, and European ethnic groups such as the French, Spanish and the Italians.

Here is a video which teaches you how to braid you're own hair. 

Video from YouTube/LuxyHair