As suggested by their name the peace lily is a symbol of peace and they are a great way to represent youth as they have also come to symbolize innocence and purity.
What is the History of Peace Lily Tattoos?
The peace lily gets its name from the Latin for the word peace, “pax”. However, this flower is also commonly known as “lily of the valley” and “handheld lily”. The funny thing is that this flower is not in fact a lily at all! It actually belongs to the Araceae family.
This flower has been particularly popular since the 1800s when many people have chosen to display them within their homes. The reason for this is that the flower is fairly resilient when it comes to being kept indoors as it does not require much light and is fairly easy to maintain.
Because of their connection to peace, they have long been used in religious ceremonies, particularly within Christianity, in relation to Christ and his symbolism of peace and forgiveness. It has also been used to represent the resurrection when Jesus came back to life after 3 days as it is believed that if you cut a peace lily leaf then it will regrow within a day.
When it comes to the history of the peace lily within the art of tattooing they are rarely seen as a singular tattoo and are often included as a part of a larger bunch of flowers or image. Perhaps the reason for this is that the shape of the flower and its stem are very elegant and very simple.
The peace lily is not up there with the most popular floral tattoos but has seen a slight rise due to its significance within Hinduism and Buddhism and its connection to Japanese culture.
What Do Peace Lily Symbolize?
As is very evident from its name the peace lily represents peace above all. This peace can be both spiritual and secular. It can be used to symbolize that someone is in need of finding inner peace or that someone needs to find peace through religion.
This flower symbolizes peace in many different religions including Christianity, Buddhism and Hinduism. In Christianity, it has been used to symbolize the resurrection of Christ and his ability to forgive.
In Buddhism, the idea of peace is central to the religion and the notion of finding inner peace and living a peaceful life are inherently connected to this flower. Not only does it symbolize finding peace, but also wisdom, and the two are interconnected.
This idea of symbolizing inner peace radiates out toward other meanings such as finding harmony with the world and creating a wholesome life.
In Japanese culture, the peace lily symbolizes beauty, purity and enlightenment. It is used to signify everything to strive toward in life and the pure good that can come from that striving.
The idea that everything can be brought toward a peaceful resolution is symbolized via the peace lily.
What Do Peace Lily Tattoos Mean?
The meaning of your peace lily will depend on where you place it. For example, if you place the flower within a home it is said to be a good way to express your sadness or sympathy for someone who has recently experienced the loss of a loved one.
However, it also depends exactly where within your house you put the plant. For example, Feng Shui experts have indicated that placing a peace lily within your home can help to bring in positive energy, reduce stress and tension and to help you find a balance in life.
Peace lilies also mean purity and innocence due to their white coloring. This is a meaning that is common to many other white flowers and it is also often associated with childhood. For this reason, it is a great flower to give to someone to celebrate the birth of a child or on their wedding day.
This flower also means longevity as they are a plant that can thrive under harsh conditions and live a long time, even supposedly regrowing a part of itself if need be. If someone finds themselves in a difficult situation then this is also the perfect flower to give them to signify a fresh start.
Where Do Peace Lily Tattoos Usually Go?
Because peace lilies are very long and slender the best placement for them is along the arm where their shape will nicely complement the shape of your arm and you can adjust the size and shape of the tattoo according to the dimensions that you desire and to fit around any tattoos that you already have.
Obviously you should choose the placement that you prefer, but a tattoo of this flower will require a decent amount of length if you want to include the stem, like the vast majority.
Alternatively, you can just include the image of the petals, which will allow you a much more rounded shape and would suit areas such as the thigh and shoulder much better.
Characteristics and Styles of Peace Lily Tattoos
Because peace lilies are very delicate in their coloring, with beautiful white petals and an elegant green stem, they look fantastic as black and white tattoos where your artist can use their skills to accentuate the elegance and slenderness of the flower using clean fine lines.
By keeping the tattoo as simple as possible you can really create a beautiful tattoo that isn’t too overdone or confusing. You can also make it obvious what the tattoo depicts, as the shape of the peace lily is not easily confused with another flower. The different meanings, however, allow you to keep the symbolism personal to yourself until you decide to share it.
If you want to add more dimension to your peace lily tattoo then consider adding in a few leaves as these can curl in either direction and give your tattoo more area to cover rather than what is otherwise a very narrow image.
