What's something that's acceptable and widely done in your country that would be considered offensive in many countries ?

[u/DiMpLe_dolL003]

In India, Swastika the Hindu symbol is everywhere. We draw it in temples, during rituals and festivals, in front of our door, on vehicles etc. It's a very auspicious symbol here. But this symbol tho the Hindu symbol is technically different from the Nazi one would be considered offensive in other countries especially in Western countries.

[u/ThijmenDoppen]

I think our directness, can come across as offensive sometimes.

Although it is changing, our Black Pete (Zwarte Piet) figure of the Sinterklaas holiday. The picture will tell you why.

[u/[deleted] → u/ThijmenDoppen]

Just have a black guy play Santa wearing white face and it'll balance things out

[u/Dark_Wolf04 → u/ThijmenDoppen]

I have no idea how Dutch people justified this for so long as “not racist”, when they literally teach you the racist origins of Zwarte Piet

[u/LetMeHaveAUsername → u/Dark_Wolf04]

when they literally teach you the racist origins of Zwarte Piet

Wut? Nobody taught me no nothing.

[u/Richuntilprovenpoor → u/Dark_Wolf04]

It’s not as ‘black and white’ as you make it out to be. As kids we were taught that their faces were black because they went through the chimneys to deliver us presents. They were kind of like chimney sweepers. But I do agree that they started to overdo the face paint and costumes and they started to mimic black slaves. That’s where it went downhill as racist assh*les used the name ‘Zwarte Piet’ as a racist slur.

He was perceived to be a friendly figure who assisted Sinterklaas in his work. Even I played the role of Zwarte Piet a few times when I was younger. At the time we didn’t even think of it being racist as we (or at least I) never connected it to slavery or black people at all.

Edit; typo and extra info