Some people might think that getting a tattoo of a poinsettia flower means that person must really like Christmas.
Since these flowers are mainly associated with the holiday season, seen on every flower shop and grocery store around that time, the assumption isn’t unfounded.
But poinsettias have a lot more meaning and history to them that makes them desirable as a design of ink drawn on someone’s skin.
They symbolize good cheer, merriment, love, and good wishes as well as purity.
They are also the birth flower of December babies and can even be a tattoo dedicated to someone born in December.
What Is The History Of Poinsettia Tattoos?
Tattoos of poinsettias trace their history with the general history of floral tattoos. Floral tattoos trace into the history of tribal tattoos where flowers were involved in designs frequently.
They were a reminder of one’s upbringing and often included an abstract version of a flower that grew close to where the person was born up as a sign of their identity and where they came from.
In the 19th century, floral tattoos became pretty popular among Australian convicts, where flower-themed tattoos were akin to sailor’s tattoos.
These tattoos had a lot of the same imagery used over and over again, one of them was a flower pot, but the meanings behind this practice are not known.
As tattoos became more popular and moved into the modern age of American tattooing, floral tattoos came with it becoming one of the most popular kinds of tattoos to get.
In general, poinsettia tattoos are much less common than any other flower but they are still chosen as tattoos designs for those who have a lot of personal significance around the flower.
What Do Poinsettias Symbolize?
Poinsettias have long been associated with Christmas and the holiday season.
They first became associated with the holiday back in the 1800s in Mexico and Guatemala.
Legend says, there was a girl named Maria (or Pepita in Mexico) who wanted to celebrate Holy Night, but she couldn’t afford to bring a gift to the church.
Depending on the legend, she is either told by an angel to pick weeds along the way or the girl does it on her own. When she presents the bouquet of weeds as a gift, the weeds turn into red blossoms that later turned into poinsettias.
Poinsettias came to North America with Joel Poinsett (the first U.S. ambassador to Mexico), that found them in South America and loved them so much he sent seeds to be planted at his home in South Carolina where he grew them and gave them as gifts to his family.
They didn’t become a commercially Christmas flower until plant grower Paul Ecke grew them during Christmas.
The symbolism of poinsettias are:
Purity:
Love and Well Wishes:
Good Cheer and Merriment:
In some countries, they have their own symbolic significance.
Mexico: poinsettias are treasured as the Christmas Eve flower
Chile and Peru: known as the Crown of the Andes
Spain: In Spain, they are more associated with Easter and are considered an Easter Flower.
What Do Poinsettia Tattoos Mean?
Tattoos of poinsettias mean exactly what the flowers symbolize, the joy and merriment of the holidays.
Being the birth flower of December means that tattoos can represent someone’s birth month or even just someone who has a passion for the holiday season.
Characteristics and Styles Of Poinsettia Tattoos
Poinsettia tattoos come in many different styles and designs depending on the person’s style and art preference.
They are commonly seen as a single flower tattoo that shows a top-down view of the bloom and all its petals spread out to show. Different art styles can make it either realistic or stylistic in nature.
Other times it is shown as a realistic flower with a full view of its stem, similar to a tattoo of a rose but with more pointy petals.
With a poinsettia tattoo, there is rarely text added into the design, but there are some select few that will have this.
Poinsettias are also depicted in inks as a part of a bouquet or a bundle of other flowers that hold significance to the tattoo owner or are aesthetically pleasing.
Does The Color Of The Poinsettia Affect The Meaning?
Poinsettias come in two colors normally, white and red, but sometimes pink and blue as well.
The color used for the flower when bought doesn’t change its meaning, but when used in art such as a tattoo, the meaning of the flower known to all requires that the color be red for simplicity.
It’s more recognizable when the petals are red and the stem is green bringing the Christmassy feeling and colors to the forefront of the piece.
Where Do Poinsettia Tattoos Usually Go?
Poinsettia tattoos can go anywhere on the body, much like any other kind of tattoo. In order to fully appreciate it, it is better to get it done on a part of the body that has a fair amount of room for the flower to be drawn in the best detail.
The tattoo can be smaller if the artist doesn’t use as much detail for a less realistic tattoo of the poinsettia.
Typical locations on the body are:
– on the side of the torso
– forearm or any part of the arm
– back of the calf
– shoulder blades
To show off a poinsettia tattoo, it must be easy to see or reveal to anyone who wants to catch a glimpse of it.
Conclusion
Poinsettia tattoos are not only for those who love Christmas or have birthdays in December, it can be a tattoo for any occasion.
Their meanings don’t fall far from the flower’s original symbolism, but it stays with the theme of merriment and all good things.
Getting a poinsettia tattoo is a great choice if you simply love the look of the flower as well as have a passion for the holiday season.
