Bindis hold special cultural and spiritual signifiance

Bindis are originally a spiritual symbol in Hinduism that reflect several aspects of the religion for the wearer, including luck, connection to various gods, and also as a symbol to reflect someone's marital status. ^[1]Those outside of Indian culture do not understand the significance that it carries, and so should not wear them outside of appropriate times, such as attending an Indian celebration or wedding. Whether a bindi is worn traditionally or for fashion is up to those within the culture to do at their discretion. It is also problematic because many Indian-Americans receive ridicule for wearing bindis in public, while non-Indians are viewed as trendy for wearing them. This hypocrisy is at the very heart of cultural appropriation. ^[2] If those whose culture originated the bindi cannot comfortably wear them out in public without facing ridicule, they should not be worn by those outside of the culture as a matter of respect.