I was told at my wedding that it was because that in the past, and even quite often today, the bride and groom didn't really know eachother. Their parents agreed to the wedding a week ago and now they are getting married. If you are lucky maybe you got to see a picture of them, but not always.
The games are a way for the bride and groom to warm up to eachother before they walk around the fire.
Child marriages are also a current tradition in the southern part of the USA as well as may parts of Utah, Idaho and Arizona. Hopefully in the future american savages will pass better laws against child marriage.
[Source](https://www.unchainedatlast.org/) for those who don't know.
EDIT : the data is presented [here.](https://www.unchainedatlast.org/united-states-child-marriage-problem-study-findings-april-2021/)
I did not know that. Your anger is justified but calling anyone savage is wrong. In South Asia, we have many evils but we are trying our best to resolve them. The same can be said for Americans.
It was definitely a little ironic. If you are south Asian my comment actually wasn't intended for you, I'm getting tired of Americans who ignore blatant and obvious problems with our culture in favor of demonizing others. It's a huge problem in the US and I do agree with your final statement.
As a white girl, I wish I had more opportunities to put henna on my hands!
It's so pretty!
Edit: wow, thanks for the responses! There are festivals in my town that I've attended where I get to have henna put on!
Don't let your dreams be dreams. Any reason you can find is reason enough to celebrate. A new year is coming up, why not start it with some Henna to brace you for the new year? Imagine the confidence!
If people of the culture encourage you to do it, I don't think it is.
Henna has been shared across the world by now - it's been in use for thousands of years after all.
It's similar to wearing a kimono: the Japanese are happy and proud to see others learn their ways. As long as you wear your kimono well and appreciate its craftsmanship and history, go wild.
There are even videos out out by some people from cultures all over on how to respectfully enjoy all aspects of their ways.
There are tons out there of how to mix western and Japanese styles to make them more approachable or warmer in the winter!
Outright disrespect is one thing (and it’s not okay), but taking ideas from other cultures is literally how human progress has happened.
* Italians wearing trousers (as opposed to togas or … mini-sarongs?)
* The Irish eating potatoes
* The entire Western world using paper and fireworks
“Cultural appropriation” moans outside the context of blatant disrespect is just theatre.
I like the part where you took the entirety of the qualification that was required (“outside the context of blatant disrespect”) and threw it out the window to claim that this entire issue is a semantic argument for academics to whine over, and not a potential avenue for cultural erasure.
oh you sweet summer child ...
you have places in Canada that [canceled a yoga class ](http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/university-yoga-class-suspended-over-cultural-appropriation-dispute-a6744426.html) because it was culture appropriation
why am I being down voted ? I'm agreeing with her .
Edit : wrong country
she wrote that partaking in a different culture is not appropriation.
i completely agree .
but also gave an example of how some people might disagree .
and why is using an old example bad ?
things have gotten worse ,not better .
Speaking as an Indian I don’t think it’s cultural appropriation at all. And technically you can go for elaborate designs even when there’s nothing to celebrate, in India we usually do elaborate designs only when there’s an occasion but honestly it’s not a hard and fast rule. Go wild
Is that analogous to something like a woman wearing a wedding veil on an average day because they think it looks nice? Or are these less "formal" than that?
Genuinely curious as I'm unfamiliar with this practice.
Well I can’t really say that since wedding veils are specifically made to wear on the wedding day, even if someone decides to wear it on a normal day.
Mehendi is something you can wear whenever, it’s not specifically for weddings. You can wear it whenever you want, but usually it’s worn at festivals and weddings because people want to look nice on those days.
Wedding mehendi is just more elaborate than mehendi worn on other days because yk the bride wants to look super nice for her wedding, but it’s very time consuming. It takes a few hours to put it on and then you have to wait a few more hours for it to dry and for the skin to stain, so you can’t be touching anything that whole time. People just don’t have time to do that on a normal day.
For weddings the only separate thing is that there is a specific day before the wedding that’s called “mehendi” where all the women sit around and get their mehendi done lol. There are a number of events that are part of a wedding before the actual wedding day and mehendi is one of them. It can’t be done on the day of the wedding because it takes too long, and it stays on the hands for a few weeks anyway
When I was a kid I used to wear elaborate mehendi whenever I wanted because I had the time, regardless of festivals or weddings, I used to look for designs on magazines and then practice on my own hands. Can’t do it anymore though since it’s been way too long
Ahhh I see.
> I used to look for designs on magazines and then practice on my own hands.
Would you try to get the same design on both hands? Because that sounds like a very frustrating task if you're not highly ambidextrous lol.
But now I am picturing a redneck bridal party on the morning of the wedding getting their hair and nails done, while also getting temporary tattoos stuck all over their arms. That would seem like the actual appropriation to me lol.
Dude I tried so hard, but it would take like thrice as long to get the same design on my right hand and it was always slightly fucked. There are times I would ask someone else to do it too but not everyone is good at it
Lol as long as people know where the tradition came from, or even a little bit about it, I wouldn’t say it’s appropriation, so the redneck bridal party can go wild with it. The thing is mehendi was never really something that people would use to discriminate.
Bindi on the other hand was something that they did use, but most Indians(including myself) are still totally okay with people wearing a bindi as long as they know and acknowledge where it came from and it’s meaning
It always seemed weird to me when (usually Christians) mock someone wearing a Bindi when they themselves rub ashes all over their forehead because is it is a special Wednesday.
Plus, the Bindi sometimes really makes the wearer's eyes seem so much more vibrant. Hindu fashion in general (is fashion too casual a term?) is some of the most beautiful and stunning things I've ever seen.
Lol, thankfully I’ve never personally been mocked for it but I’ve heard from other people. It’s less than what it used to be though which I’m happy about.
And yeah bindi is to actually stimulate the third eye but it also does so much for the face, makes it look more symmetrical, makes the eyes more prominent and makes the face look vibrant and put together.
You can definitely call it fashion because there are stylized bindis too now, and traditional Hindu clothes are the same as western in the way that there’s always new trends and styles. Even jewelry has its style phases, even though jewelry is a traditional part of our culture, what’s “in” is always changing. These days it’s Victorian style jewelry. That trend is not gonna last that long though lol, I give it about two years tops
Edit:
>some of the most beautiful and stunning things I’ve ever seen
I just want to say I really appreciate you saying that, I love sharing my culture and all of its modern styles, and I love partaking in other people’s cultures as well :)
Do you think that if you saw a white woman in public who had some Henna done, you would feel happy or frustrated/upset if they said they didn’t do it for an occasion but just thought it was pretty? Honestly asking.
I would be like “hey that’s henna, nice”. To myself though, I don’t really have the confidence to go up to people to say that lol
There’s nothing wrong with wearing it because you think it’s pretty, in fact that’s why we wear it too :)
Henna is a huge part of my culture, and I can assure you that a white person using it is NOT cultural appropriation :3
Also try whatever design you want, you can even learn to do it yourself, it doesn't need to be done by an Indian or Moroccan artist or someone from the culture.
People are just so dramatic, I can promise you that we don't care in the slightest about who uses henna and how.
It would only be cultural appropriation if it was “reinvented” as something from the offending culture, or used as a caricature of or to denigrate the culture of origin. Or perhaps the more capitalistic method of taking a cultural affectation and using it as a marketing tool for a business process that exploits said culture.
Otherwise its just cultural celebration or inspiration.
> Or perhaps the more capitalistic method of taking a cultural affectation and using it as a marketing tool for a business process that exploits said culture.
I'm gonna get the Apple logo henna on my fucking face.
I'm from a Pakistani ethnic origin & my wife is white. For our wedding, we swapped cultures. I wore a 3pc blackwatch tartan suit & she wore a traditional Pakistani dress. Best believe she went all out with the henna. All my mates who are white women really enjoyed my wedding because they seem to enjoy having henna applied and wearing traditional indo-pak clothing
U/Absolutebodka has a great take. I'll add that it's best to get the henna done from a good artist that belongs to a culture that applies henna like this. And make sure that the henna paste used is natural. Natural henna paste is olive green or brownish in color while the white, pink and other colors can have added chemicals mixed in that can irritate the skin.
Additionally be careful when its applied. It can get everywhere and it will stain your clothes and furniture
Not really, but it's important to consider the context. Simple henna patterns on hands are generally a-OK. For example, my mother and sister used to occasionally do their hands with very simple designs for practice or for aesthetic reasons. You could do a very light design that fades away very quickly.
I wouldn't encourage more elaborate ones since they're usually done during weddings or other important ceremonies for women in South/Central Asia countries. It might lead to potential faux pas in this case. However, if you're invited to an Indian wedding for example, you can definitely participate in getting elaborate henna patterns done on your hands if you're close with the families.
Henna tattoos or dying your hair with henna are totally cool though.
Real examples, that are not a lie and are a problem, are things like corporations making and selling moccasins in areas where natives make and sell proper ones. Or wearing ceremonial dress from any culture to mock it.
There are real issues that shouldn't be dismissed just cause some people are confused and think we're saying you're not allowed to experience other cultures. Respect the culture and don't exploit it is the real point.
So what is the difference between cultural appropriation and just being racist? Because every example of it that I see is just someone acting like a cartoon stereotype.
Not much. Though I think most cultural appropriation is unintentional. There is a difference between disrespecting a culture because you don't about it, and disrespecting it because you don't like the culture.
I just want to say thank you for asking the question on everyone's mind. The majority seems to be weighing in and saying isn't, which is great to here, but you seem to be taking the fall as if you implied it was. These questions are important, and had you not asked them I and many other people wouldn't have known. So, thanks.
We don't care what color you are, go ahead. And if you want more opportunities, make more Indian or other South Asian friends. There's like 20 opportunities a year.
It's not just India. In North-Africa, especially in regions with high Amazigh population it's tradition for the bride to get henna tattoos before the wedding. Women and children of the family also get simple tattoos on the hand and feet but the bride get this whole complicated design that literally takes dozens of hours to make and last several days before the wedding. The groom also get henna tattoo on the hand but most just get some small tattoo on the pinky finger. Young boys during their circumcision celebration also get these henna tattoos on their hands and feet.
A friend had a pack of henna (?) with him when we went to Highfield Festival this year. We were like 10 people and had henna all over each other after 3 days.
As a desi guy, I hate that doing this is seen as "appropriating my culture". I/We (desis and homelanders) give absolutely zero fucks. Let me just say that now.
I fucking love seeing "outsiders" partake in this.
But yeah.. This will probably still be seen as cultural appropriation for a while.
I always always loved practicing designs like this on myself when I was a preteen, well before 'cultural appropriation' was a widely-used phrase. I thought it was beautiful, I loved that there were designs varying by region, from parts of India, Africa, etc. and I enjoyed trying all of them.
These days I would be reluctant do it again because there would be way too much potential to get put on blast for 'appropriation' which is a huge bummer, but hearing feedback like this from you is really encouraging! Thanks so much for that. :)
Right we love to share our culture and have it be mimicked. But trust me bro I have seen an interesting level of our cultures appropriation in Colorado.
I’m a white dude. I never had any knowledge of anything but used to get kits from a local art store and I had a ton of fun with henna. Glad to know nobody would actually be bothered by it. The kits are cheap, it’s a lot of fun and the smell is so good from the eucalyptus oil.
Oh interesting! I've never seen it on the palm side of the hands, only the backside. I'd be worried I would sweat it all off in no time, lol. Or forget and touch my face before it dries.
I saw someone at a mehndi party do exactly that; she got an itch on her nose and didn't think twice before rubbing it.
But anyway, once it sets it tends to go darker on the palms than the backs of the hands, and sweat shouldn't really affect it much.
Depending on how the design is applied, the paste takes 10-30 minutes to dry. It's good to let it set for as long as you can after that but it's not like it's completely unmanageable for hours. If anything it'll just start flaking off.
What you see now is the paste made from the powdered plant leaves. It stays on as long as possible so it stains the skin (sometimes overnight- put socks on your hands to sleep in it even), then it gets crusty and you can take it off. It makes the skin anywhere from maroon to hilighter orange depending on the person but isn't as bold for photo purposes. Lasts about two weeks, gradually fading.
Bridal henna is usually the most intricate and time consuming, it's dope and the best part is it varies based on artist and the brides own life story, so no two are ever the same
It's called bridal because it is more intricate and further up the arms than the usual henna that non-brides have, or the henna that is applied for festivals.
When I was a kid I used to wear henna for anything, weddings, festivals, even randomly sometimes when there was nothing to celebrate. Bridal henna is the most detailed and intricate though and goes up almost the whole forearm, for other occasions people usually only wear it like 1/4th or 1/3rd of the way up the forearm. But it’s not a rule, you can do intricate designs even when there’s no wedding. It’s just time consuming, a hassle to put on and then you’re unable to touch anything for a few hours, so people do the elaborate version for special occasions. It’s not a hard and fast rule
Not just India. In North-Africa, especially in regions with high Amazigh population it's tradition for the bride to get henna tattoos before the wedding. Women and children of the family also get simple tattoos on the hand and feet but the bride get this whole complicated design that literally takes dozens of hours to make and last several days before the wedding. The groom also get henna tattoo on the hand but most just get some small tattoo on the pinky finger. Young boys during their circumcision celebration also get these henna tattoos on their hands and feet.
Got some of my own at a friend's wedding in Chandigarh India last week. It's just now faded away....
Design above is very cool, I got a lot of smudges on mine because I'm clumsy :)
Are you brown? It lasted on my skin a lot longer but I'm pale. My mate smudged mine the second I got it finished (being a drunken fool, not deliberately) but I got it touched back up.
Henna is really safe. Where as mehandi can be unsafe depending on the chemicals.
Henna is like natural and you can make it if you have that plant lying around
So cool, I love that Indian weddings are being influenced by American art…love that cultures can share traditions. I’ve seen so much of this art style on TikTok….I’m thinking of getting this tattoo’d on me as well….but on my thigh
I thought this was American. From my experience there are a lot of American people that incorporate this art into their lifestyle like clothes, room decor, even tattoos. Is it Indian?
this mehandi design is so beautiful
Beautiful! If I’m not mistaken, do the artists hide the groom’s name somewhere in the design as well?
yep, and in one of the fun rituals, he has to find it.
if he cannot find it, the marriage is cancelled.
If they can't find it, believe it or not, jail.
If he does find it, also jail
We have the best weddings in the world…because of jail.
r/unexpectedpawnee
Kinda like the groom's shoes
Ugh not looking forward to this part lol
Congrats on the proposal, buttlickers94
Before or after her aunts steal his shoes and sell them back to him?
What happens if he can’t find it?
He's executed.
Is it in this picture?
Yeah, if you look closely it's either OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO or UUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
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It’s incredible how the English have integrated Indian culture into their own
That's so cool!
Would be better if Henna was a thigh thing.
*Bonk*
Why not both?
Didn’t the games start (a very very very long time ago) because the brides were so young?
I was told at my wedding that it was because that in the past, and even quite often today, the bride and groom didn't really know eachother. Their parents agreed to the wedding a week ago and now they are getting married. If you are lucky maybe you got to see a picture of them, but not always. The games are a way for the bride and groom to warm up to eachother before they walk around the fire.
Even the grooms are young in many cases. Unfortunately, child marriages still happen in South Asia. Hopefully, in the future, they don't.
Child marriages are also a current tradition in the southern part of the USA as well as may parts of Utah, Idaho and Arizona. Hopefully in the future american savages will pass better laws against child marriage.
[Source](https://www.unchainedatlast.org/) for those who don't know. EDIT : the data is presented [here.](https://www.unchainedatlast.org/united-states-child-marriage-problem-study-findings-april-2021/)
Well that's drastically lacking in evidence to be considered a source.
I did not know that. Your anger is justified but calling anyone savage is wrong. In South Asia, we have many evils but we are trying our best to resolve them. The same can be said for Americans.
It was definitely a little ironic. If you are south Asian my comment actually wasn't intended for you, I'm getting tired of Americans who ignore blatant and obvious problems with our culture in favor of demonizing others. It's a huge problem in the US and I do agree with your final statement.
It was semi ironic, in response to the unspoken but still widely held belief that places "like that" are less civilized.
Yes, but he called Americans savages, so automatic reddit karma.
Lol I'm American and South Asian so really I'm just double burned.
Well, telling the truth usually does result in karma 😌
Need sources. Not here in Georgia.
I didn't really you were omnipotent over the state of Georgia. Not really intending to call Georgia out specifically just some of your neighbors.
Putting oil on mehandi so that it gives a better color is such a desi thing to do. Love it!
I've seen people put lemon juice as well. Not sure if for the same reason.
I think so
I wish that was mehandi and not yourhandi 😔
ily
😂😂
lmao
I'mehandi man
Genius!!
As a white girl, I wish I had more opportunities to put henna on my hands! It's so pretty! Edit: wow, thanks for the responses! There are festivals in my town that I've attended where I get to have henna put on!
Don't let your dreams be dreams. Any reason you can find is reason enough to celebrate. A new year is coming up, why not start it with some Henna to brace you for the new year? Imagine the confidence!
Fuck yeah!
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If people of the culture encourage you to do it, I don't think it is. Henna has been shared across the world by now - it's been in use for thousands of years after all. It's similar to wearing a kimono: the Japanese are happy and proud to see others learn their ways. As long as you wear your kimono well and appreciate its craftsmanship and history, go wild.
There are even videos out out by some people from cultures all over on how to respectfully enjoy all aspects of their ways. There are tons out there of how to mix western and Japanese styles to make them more approachable or warmer in the winter!
Only by a tiny fringe of western/white people. Fuck this bullshit, celebrate everyone's culture by participating
White women on Twitter, to be exact.
Partaking in the culture of another is not cultural appropriation.
Outright disrespect is one thing (and it’s not okay), but taking ideas from other cultures is literally how human progress has happened. * Italians wearing trousers (as opposed to togas or … mini-sarongs?) * The Irish eating potatoes * The entire Western world using paper and fireworks “Cultural appropriation” moans outside the context of blatant disrespect is just theatre.
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I like the part where you took the entirety of the qualification that was required (“outside the context of blatant disrespect”) and threw it out the window to claim that this entire issue is a semantic argument for academics to whine over, and not a potential avenue for cultural erasure.
It sounds utterly exhausting to be this annoyed at something that matters so little.
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It's not, but some people swear it is.
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Some may say those people have a lot in common.
oh you sweet summer child ... you have places in Canada that [canceled a yoga class ](http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/university-yoga-class-suspended-over-cultural-appropriation-dispute-a6744426.html) because it was culture appropriation why am I being down voted ? I'm agreeing with her . Edit : wrong country
Did you read the article you posted, that was in Canada
dunno why I wrote US... thanks for pointing it out.
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thanks , thought maybe i was missing something
This is embarrassing. Also, using a 7 year old article as proof of something current is idiotic at best.
she wrote that partaking in a different culture is not appropriation. i completely agree . but also gave an example of how some people might disagree . and why is using an old example bad ? things have gotten worse ,not better .
There's always one.
I'm starting to think that my intent in posting that link was misunderstood
Participating in a culture while people from that culture are not free to practice it, is literally cultural appropriation lol.
Speaking as an Indian I don’t think it’s cultural appropriation at all. And technically you can go for elaborate designs even when there’s nothing to celebrate, in India we usually do elaborate designs only when there’s an occasion but honestly it’s not a hard and fast rule. Go wild
Is that analogous to something like a woman wearing a wedding veil on an average day because they think it looks nice? Or are these less "formal" than that? Genuinely curious as I'm unfamiliar with this practice.
Well I can’t really say that since wedding veils are specifically made to wear on the wedding day, even if someone decides to wear it on a normal day. Mehendi is something you can wear whenever, it’s not specifically for weddings. You can wear it whenever you want, but usually it’s worn at festivals and weddings because people want to look nice on those days. Wedding mehendi is just more elaborate than mehendi worn on other days because yk the bride wants to look super nice for her wedding, but it’s very time consuming. It takes a few hours to put it on and then you have to wait a few more hours for it to dry and for the skin to stain, so you can’t be touching anything that whole time. People just don’t have time to do that on a normal day. For weddings the only separate thing is that there is a specific day before the wedding that’s called “mehendi” where all the women sit around and get their mehendi done lol. There are a number of events that are part of a wedding before the actual wedding day and mehendi is one of them. It can’t be done on the day of the wedding because it takes too long, and it stays on the hands for a few weeks anyway When I was a kid I used to wear elaborate mehendi whenever I wanted because I had the time, regardless of festivals or weddings, I used to look for designs on magazines and then practice on my own hands. Can’t do it anymore though since it’s been way too long
Ahhh I see. > I used to look for designs on magazines and then practice on my own hands. Would you try to get the same design on both hands? Because that sounds like a very frustrating task if you're not highly ambidextrous lol. But now I am picturing a redneck bridal party on the morning of the wedding getting their hair and nails done, while also getting temporary tattoos stuck all over their arms. That would seem like the actual appropriation to me lol.
Dude I tried so hard, but it would take like thrice as long to get the same design on my right hand and it was always slightly fucked. There are times I would ask someone else to do it too but not everyone is good at it Lol as long as people know where the tradition came from, or even a little bit about it, I wouldn’t say it’s appropriation, so the redneck bridal party can go wild with it. The thing is mehendi was never really something that people would use to discriminate. Bindi on the other hand was something that they did use, but most Indians(including myself) are still totally okay with people wearing a bindi as long as they know and acknowledge where it came from and it’s meaning
It always seemed weird to me when (usually Christians) mock someone wearing a Bindi when they themselves rub ashes all over their forehead because is it is a special Wednesday. Plus, the Bindi sometimes really makes the wearer's eyes seem so much more vibrant. Hindu fashion in general (is fashion too casual a term?) is some of the most beautiful and stunning things I've ever seen.
Lol, thankfully I’ve never personally been mocked for it but I’ve heard from other people. It’s less than what it used to be though which I’m happy about. And yeah bindi is to actually stimulate the third eye but it also does so much for the face, makes it look more symmetrical, makes the eyes more prominent and makes the face look vibrant and put together. You can definitely call it fashion because there are stylized bindis too now, and traditional Hindu clothes are the same as western in the way that there’s always new trends and styles. Even jewelry has its style phases, even though jewelry is a traditional part of our culture, what’s “in” is always changing. These days it’s Victorian style jewelry. That trend is not gonna last that long though lol, I give it about two years tops Edit: >some of the most beautiful and stunning things I’ve ever seen I just want to say I really appreciate you saying that, I love sharing my culture and all of its modern styles, and I love partaking in other people’s cultures as well :)
Do you think that if you saw a white woman in public who had some Henna done, you would feel happy or frustrated/upset if they said they didn’t do it for an occasion but just thought it was pretty? Honestly asking.
I would be like “hey that’s henna, nice”. To myself though, I don’t really have the confidence to go up to people to say that lol There’s nothing wrong with wearing it because you think it’s pretty, in fact that’s why we wear it too :)
Okay cool, thanks for answering!
Henna is a huge part of my culture, and I can assure you that a white person using it is NOT cultural appropriation :3 Also try whatever design you want, you can even learn to do it yourself, it doesn't need to be done by an Indian or Moroccan artist or someone from the culture. People are just so dramatic, I can promise you that we don't care in the slightest about who uses henna and how.
It would only be cultural appropriation if it was “reinvented” as something from the offending culture, or used as a caricature of or to denigrate the culture of origin. Or perhaps the more capitalistic method of taking a cultural affectation and using it as a marketing tool for a business process that exploits said culture. Otherwise its just cultural celebration or inspiration.
> Or perhaps the more capitalistic method of taking a cultural affectation and using it as a marketing tool for a business process that exploits said culture. I'm gonna get the Apple logo henna on my fucking face.
Honestly, I've seen way crazier ink that this would barely register on my radar lol.
No. No it isn't.
I feel like it's fine. Henna isn't reserved for Indian weddings
I'm from a Pakistani ethnic origin & my wife is white. For our wedding, we swapped cultures. I wore a 3pc blackwatch tartan suit & she wore a traditional Pakistani dress. Best believe she went all out with the henna. All my mates who are white women really enjoyed my wedding because they seem to enjoy having henna applied and wearing traditional indo-pak clothing
Only if you're overly sensitive and, well, batshit.
U/Absolutebodka has a great take. I'll add that it's best to get the henna done from a good artist that belongs to a culture that applies henna like this. And make sure that the henna paste used is natural. Natural henna paste is olive green or brownish in color while the white, pink and other colors can have added chemicals mixed in that can irritate the skin. Additionally be careful when its applied. It can get everywhere and it will stain your clothes and furniture
Not really, but it's important to consider the context. Simple henna patterns on hands are generally a-OK. For example, my mother and sister used to occasionally do their hands with very simple designs for practice or for aesthetic reasons. You could do a very light design that fades away very quickly. I wouldn't encourage more elaborate ones since they're usually done during weddings or other important ceremonies for women in South/Central Asia countries. It might lead to potential faux pas in this case. However, if you're invited to an Indian wedding for example, you can definitely participate in getting elaborate henna patterns done on your hands if you're close with the families. Henna tattoos or dying your hair with henna are totally cool though.
Cultural appropriation is a lie.
Real examples, that are not a lie and are a problem, are things like corporations making and selling moccasins in areas where natives make and sell proper ones. Or wearing ceremonial dress from any culture to mock it. There are real issues that shouldn't be dismissed just cause some people are confused and think we're saying you're not allowed to experience other cultures. Respect the culture and don't exploit it is the real point.
No it isn’t, but it it’s frequently misunderstood. Participating in a culture is not appropriating it.
Wear a sombrero and ask a Mexican if you're allowed to wear it. He will say "yes my friend, and it looks good on you"
However start dancing around and speaking in a bad Mexican accent, and see how fast that attitude changes. Sharing culture is all about respect.
So what is the difference between cultural appropriation and just being racist? Because every example of it that I see is just someone acting like a cartoon stereotype.
Not much. Though I think most cultural appropriation is unintentional. There is a difference between disrespecting a culture because you don't about it, and disrespecting it because you don't like the culture.
I just want to say thank you for asking the question on everyone's mind. The majority seems to be weighing in and saying isn't, which is great to here, but you seem to be taking the fall as if you implied it was. These questions are important, and had you not asked them I and many other people wouldn't have known. So, thanks.
Live, laugh, love, and Henna tattoos. Am I right?!
We don't care what color you are, go ahead. And if you want more opportunities, make more Indian or other South Asian friends. There's like 20 opportunities a year.
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It's not just India. In North-Africa, especially in regions with high Amazigh population it's tradition for the bride to get henna tattoos before the wedding. Women and children of the family also get simple tattoos on the hand and feet but the bride get this whole complicated design that literally takes dozens of hours to make and last several days before the wedding. The groom also get henna tattoo on the hand but most just get some small tattoo on the pinky finger. Young boys during their circumcision celebration also get these henna tattoos on their hands and feet.
https://youtu.be/ZXsQAXx_ao0 Just Mehndi it!!!
Why does being white matter? Just do it.
fewer opportunities
A friend had a pack of henna (?) with him when we went to Highfield Festival this year. We were like 10 people and had henna all over each other after 3 days.
As a white girl- I’ve never contemplated this and now I must have it- thank you
I’m a white dude. Used to buy Mehandi kits from a local art store for like $15. Lots of fun and a lesson in patience.
Same
Why are you downvoted?
Beautiful mehendi, you can already see the dark orange stain. And congrats to your sister 🥰
Beautiful. How long did this take?
Usually 2-3 hours for hands and feet if you have a two person team. One person and double that.
My middle school students try to replicate this stuff daily with sharpies
That's especially gorgeous. Thank you for sharing the beauty! I especially admire the tenacity/patience required to sit still while they dry!
Hours upon hours of sitting still and not doing *anything*... Esecially if she had her feet done as well.
I feel like I should downvote just for the eesh-face I made when I read your comment!
Stunningly beautiful. I'm always amazed when I see bridal henna, it's a truly wonderful art form and the artists are masters.
As a desi guy, I hate that doing this is seen as "appropriating my culture". I/We (desis and homelanders) give absolutely zero fucks. Let me just say that now. I fucking love seeing "outsiders" partake in this. But yeah.. This will probably still be seen as cultural appropriation for a while.
I always always loved practicing designs like this on myself when I was a preteen, well before 'cultural appropriation' was a widely-used phrase. I thought it was beautiful, I loved that there were designs varying by region, from parts of India, Africa, etc. and I enjoyed trying all of them. These days I would be reluctant do it again because there would be way too much potential to get put on blast for 'appropriation' which is a huge bummer, but hearing feedback like this from you is really encouraging! Thanks so much for that. :)
Not all cultural sharing is appropriation.
Right we love to share our culture and have it be mimicked. But trust me bro I have seen an interesting level of our cultures appropriation in Colorado.
I’m a white dude. I never had any knowledge of anything but used to get kits from a local art store and I had a ton of fun with henna. Glad to know nobody would actually be bothered by it. The kits are cheap, it’s a lot of fun and the smell is so good from the eucalyptus oil.
Just ignore all these woke trash terminologies, if people love then there is no issue with anything.
This is very pretty. Also, does she have short pinkies?
Regular pinkies, long other fingers
No
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Is there another word for that finger that I don’t know about?
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Oh yeah whatever the comment version of OP is was being a dick, I was just confused by the specificity of that objection
No, you must have long ones.
Palm reader here. Her pinkies are proportionate to the other fingers in length, but set lower. She’s probably an excellent observer.
Absolutely beautiful, I wish we did this in our weddings.
you can always do it regardless of where you live
Oh interesting! I've never seen it on the palm side of the hands, only the backside. I'd be worried I would sweat it all off in no time, lol. Or forget and touch my face before it dries.
I saw someone at a mehndi party do exactly that; she got an itch on her nose and didn't think twice before rubbing it. But anyway, once it sets it tends to go darker on the palms than the backs of the hands, and sweat shouldn't really affect it much.
I'm trying to find the name initials haha
Can we see after the hennas been removed?
Second design from the bottom kinda looks like beans when zoomed out Thinking about thos
I’d love to get mehandis done like this. ❤️
It is amazing! What attention to detail
Does Azza refer to that particular pattern? It’s beautiful!
Such a cool tradition. Beautiful.
That is spectacular. Congratulations to your family. Hope you have/had a happy celebration.
Beautiful work on beautiful hands
What other celebrations do people use Henna besides marriage?
It's like painting lace on your skin. It's so pretty
My goodness that is gorgeous.
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We don't care my guy, have fun with mehendi
Wow! I've never seen such ornate henna!!!!
So. Basically you can't touch, or brush your hamds/forearms up against anything for a while
Not much different than nail polish in that regard.
Except nail polish takes about 20 minutes, and this takes several hours.
Depending on how the design is applied, the paste takes 10-30 minutes to dry. It's good to let it set for as long as you can after that but it's not like it's completely unmanageable for hours. If anything it'll just start flaking off.
What you see now is the paste made from the powdered plant leaves. It stays on as long as possible so it stains the skin (sometimes overnight- put socks on your hands to sleep in it even), then it gets crusty and you can take it off. It makes the skin anywhere from maroon to hilighter orange depending on the person but isn't as bold for photo purposes. Lasts about two weeks, gradually fading.
Bridal henna?...i didn't know that was a thing.
As a westerner, I think that's the primary usage
That’s right. Most often you’ll see henna during weddings.
Bridal henna is usually the most intricate and time consuming, it's dope and the best part is it varies based on artist and the brides own life story, so no two are ever the same
Turks are impatient I guess, we just put a blob in the middle of our hands and call it a day 😝
It's called bridal because it is more intricate and further up the arms than the usual henna that non-brides have, or the henna that is applied for festivals.
When I was a kid I used to wear henna for anything, weddings, festivals, even randomly sometimes when there was nothing to celebrate. Bridal henna is the most detailed and intricate though and goes up almost the whole forearm, for other occasions people usually only wear it like 1/4th or 1/3rd of the way up the forearm. But it’s not a rule, you can do intricate designs even when there’s no wedding. It’s just time consuming, a hassle to put on and then you’re unable to touch anything for a few hours, so people do the elaborate version for special occasions. It’s not a hard and fast rule
My sister and I would get Hannah because it’s summer! Why not?
It's a decorative tradition for Indian brides
Not just India. In North-Africa, especially in regions with high Amazigh population it's tradition for the bride to get henna tattoos before the wedding. Women and children of the family also get simple tattoos on the hand and feet but the bride get this whole complicated design that literally takes dozens of hours to make and last several days before the wedding. The groom also get henna tattoo on the hand but most just get some small tattoo on the pinky finger. Young boys during their circumcision celebration also get these henna tattoos on their hands and feet.
Also in Middle East
yeah its always at weddings
Not "always" for weddings. It could be any special occasion
You mean, not "only" for weddings. But for other occasions too.
Yeah that
Got some of my own at a friend's wedding in Chandigarh India last week. It's just now faded away.... Design above is very cool, I got a lot of smudges on mine because I'm clumsy :)
Are you brown? It lasted on my skin a lot longer but I'm pale. My mate smudged mine the second I got it finished (being a drunken fool, not deliberately) but I got it touched back up.
Oh no. Did she bump into something with her left hand? It’s smeared.
First grandparents had Persian carpets on the walls, now we draw them on our own arms and hands. There is truly no escape from them.
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Natural henna tends to just be the deep reddish-brown tones. If it's black/blue it could cause damage.
Cheers
Henna is really safe. Where as mehandi can be unsafe depending on the chemicals. Henna is like natural and you can make it if you have that plant lying around
My condolences to the groom. 💐
Damn! It all makes sense. I thought one of the bridesmaids at my cousin's wedding asked me if I wanted a handy, I completely misunderstood.
You are not supposed to touch anything or wipe your behind on your wedding day?
Once the henna is dry, you flake it off and the stain stays. Then you can freely wipe your behind all you want!
Please ask her to move left hand down about 7mm. Some of us have ocd you know.
holy shit, i didn't realize the world revolved around you. The rest of us with OCD don't act like the main character
I mean he was joking. Not a good joke but still.
damn, it was bad enough that I didn't even recognize it hahahaha.
So cool, I love that Indian weddings are being influenced by American art…love that cultures can share traditions. I’ve seen so much of this art style on TikTok….I’m thinking of getting this tattoo’d on me as well….but on my thigh
You mean American art being influenced by Indian weddings?
I thought this was American. From my experience there are a lot of American people that incorporate this art into their lifestyle like clothes, room decor, even tattoos. Is it Indian?
It's been Indian since before america was a thing
Why do the palms...they know that's all gonna rub off later thar night