Halloween and Tattoos
At their very basic forms, both tattooing and Halloween draw on ancient traditions that have been handed down through the centuries outside of the mainstream information pathways. They inspire feelings of ancestral traditions while weaving themselves into the forefront of modern life.
Halloween is a fairly new holiday compared to the holidays it is based on. Samhain (SOW’ in) is a celebration of the time of the year when the veil between the living world and the afterlife is at it’s thinnest and communication between the worlds is easiest. Similarly, Dia de Los Muertos is a celebration of deceased loved ones and relatives and welcoming their spirits back. Tattoos are permanent representations of memories, loved ones, feelings, thoughts and beliefs that would otherwise be invisible and lost to time. Both are keeping a piece of the past fresh in the mind and not slipping away into the ether.
Halloween lovers have always enjoyed the eerie symbols that represent the spirit of the holiday. Often certain symbols will resonate with someone’s personal memories or experiences, such as a spider web representing the twisted turns their life took from childhood to adulthood or a favorite childhood witch costume. Tarot cards and sugar skulls could represent religious beliefs or a sneak peek into someone’s personal interests.
Getting a tattoo can be considered a ritual in itself. The artist sets up their workstation the way a high priestess sets up her altar. The pain of needles, the spiritual energy, the transformation of an idea into a permanent image are all aspects of the modern day clinging to the past through traditional activities and long established customs.
Both Halloween and tattooing have had their fair share of ridicule and ostracism. Practitioners of both spent decades, even centuries, hiding in the shadows and covering up evidence of their activity in these unpopular pursuits. People dress up in costumes to briefly escape their lives of mundane conformity while tattoo enthusiasts decorate their bodies to escape mundane uniformity. Both allow for individual expression and breaking away from societal boundaries.
Over the years, tattoos have been gaining acceptance by leaps and bounds and are becoming more and more common to see on men and women of all ages and demographics. Halloween has also been nipping on the heels of Christmas in the race to become the most favorite holiday. As more and more people develop and interest in both Halloween and tattoos, both will continue to change and adapt with the modern times causing a never ending story of self expression and enthusiasm for art in its many forms.
