Piercing History and Its Meanings

Piercing History and Its Meanings

Piercing History and Its Meanings

Body piercing is a common practice these days. However, it has been a practice for many centuries. Many ancient cultures pierced different parts of the body for cultural, social, or religious reasons. Today, there are indigenous tribes that practice body piercing as part of religious beliefs, but also as an indication of social status in the tribe. In some cultures and tribes, body piercing is also seen as an object of beauty, especially in the tribal women.

Today, young people pierce different parts of their bodies: nose, face, ear lobes, lips, tongue, belly button, and private parts, as part of individual expression, body art, and fashion statement. The simplest form of body piercing in today's society is wearing earrings - which is done by men and women and can start as early as a few days after birth.

Nose piercing was practiced more than four thousand years ago. In Africa and the middle east, it is still practiced today, but not as a fashion statement, but as a marriage gift and sign of wealth. The bigger a nose ring is, the bigger the wealth of the giver.

Nose piercing appeared in India in the sixteenth century. There it has a different meaning, associated with Indian medicine, childbirth, and the reproductive organs. Nose piercing appeared in the west on the sixties, and the hippie's movement made it popular. It was adopted from the Indian culture. In the nineties, the punk culture made nose piercing a sign of rebellion and a statement of individuality. Today, it is more acceptable in society, and has become a fashion statement.

Other cultures such as the Aztecs and Mayans practiced piercing. They pierced their tongues as part of religious and spiritual ceremonies to the gods. Today, many celebrities have tongue piercings, and it has become a fashion statement as well.

The most common piercing is earlobe piercing and this has been practiced for thousands of years, over five thousand years by different cultures. In our society, it is done as adornment and beauty, as well as fashion and a social statement. In the west, it was seen as a female practice at one time, even as a feminine trait for men if they dare to pierce their ears.

After it became more acceptable as a practice for men, straight men were supposed to wear it in the left side, as opposed to gay men who wore it on the right side. Today, men and women wear earrings and it is acceptable in men to wear one or two earrings, in whichever earlobe they prefer. In the Eastern societies, it has been a common practice for men and women for centuries, with no negative connotations.

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