What is it about flowers that people love so much that they are willing to have them tattooed on themselves? I mean if you look at men and women with tattooes, you're going to see a flower somewhere on them. The flower of choice most times is the ROSE.
I had the wondeful opportunity of going to a Tattoo Fest and I decided to interview people who were getting tattoos, who had tattoos, and the artists giving tattoos. My number one question was "Why do people get flower tattoos?"
The first lady I interviewed while she was going under the ink was getting several flowers tattooed for each of her family members. She had looked up the flower for each of their birth months and was having them tattood in a carfully thought out pattern on her left shoulder. To her, flowers represented the people she loved most in her life.
I remember back in the day when I first wanted a tattoo. It was the early 90's and people, especially men, would tell me, "Ladies don't have tattoos and you are a lady." I was discouraged at every point in getting a tattoo. But boy, did I want one.
People look at people with tattoos and make judgements about them. At one time, you would not be able to get a job if you had a visible tattoo. Man, how times have changed. almost everyone has one and they are even on people's FACES. Yes. I ran into a young tattoo artist who had a rose tattooed on her left temple. I interviewed her and asked her why did she put it there? She said she just felt like it and roses are so beautiful. She said she was a little afraid of what her mother might say so she asked her if it was okay for her to put a tattoo on her face. Her mother's response was that she was grown and she could make that decision if she wanted to. Mom was okay with it.
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Tattoos are a way people express themselves. Their tattoos have meaning to them. And in that same vein, their FLOWER tattoos mean something to them.
The energy at the Tattoo Fest was so alive and vibrant. Everyone there was so happy to be there and tattoos were everywhere. It seemed to me, some people did not have anymore room on their body for another tattoo. But, just like people who have gardens, there is always room for another beloved plant and there is alway room for another beloved tattoo.
When you think of the highly favored ROSE, you think of love and romance. People have rose tattoos for their loved ones such as their mother, girlfriend, child, spouse, and even a deceased family member, friend, or loved one. Rose tattoos seem to be very meaningful to people.
The rose has a long history and meaning The red rose symbolizes romance, love, beauty, and courage. A red rosebud signifies beauty and purity. A thornless red rose means love at first sight. Yellow roses symbolize friendship and joy, and new beginnings. Orange roses symbolize fascination, desire, and sensuality. People may not know the meanings for the color of the rose they choose to have as a tattoo, they just know they want that particular flower. If you have a rose tattoo, more than likely it's red. Here is the meaning for the colors of roses:
RED: love, passion, romance, desire.
PINK: femininty, elegance, grace, admiration, gentleness.
PEACH: gratitude.
PURPLE: enchantment, love at first sight, adoration.
BLUE: (yes there are roses classified as blue) mystery,
unattainability.
GREEN: nature, rejuvenation, fertility.
WHITE: new beginnings, hope, innocence, purity, loyalty.
ORANGE: energy, enthusiasm.
YELLOW: friendship, warmth, caring.
In religious history, the rose became identified with the Virgin Mary and the rose symbol eventually led to the creation of the rosary. The rose is the national flower of England. In 1986 the rose was adopted as the national floral emblem of the United States. The rose is also the state flower of New York, adopted in 1955. Portland Oregon has the nickname as the "City of Roses," since 1888 and has held an annual Rose Festival since 1905.
So why not have a flower tattoo? Flowers hold so much meaning. So much meaning until it would be impoosible for me to go into all of them in this one post. Maybe I'll do a series on tattoos and flowers and write about the signifigance of other flower tattoos. I ran into one lady who was planning on getting a lotus flower tattoo. I found her mysterious and intriguing just because she wanted a "lotus" tattoo.
As I said earlier, men and women both enjoy and have flower tattoos. I know you are wondering whether or not I ever got a tattoo and the answer is yes. After I returned to the States, after serving in the First Gulf War, I decided if I was able to go to war I DESERVED a tattoo. Since then the stigma of women having tattoos has all but vanished. Women freely express themselves in all kinds of ways with tattoos in private and public areas of their body and are not seen as masculine or 'unlady like.'
Flowers and tattoos go hand in hand beautifully. And just like in a garden, the flowers of choice has a story to tell. I enjoyed my day at the Tattoo Fest held in Jackson, MS at the TradeMart Center and look forward to attending next year and I will be prepared to get a new tattoo.
You can see all of the wonderful interviews I did on my Facebook page: Black People Garden Too in Mississippi. Please follow me here on my blog and on Facebook as well. I am available in the Mississippi area to give presentations about flowers. Leave a comment bellow to contact me or use the information to the right on this blog or contact me on Facebook to book an appointment for a presentation for you church, flower club,or local library.
As always on my adventures I run into wonderful people and get to experience wonderful things. Here I am with a bearded dragon. Great fun.
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