In many societies, ear piercing is done as a ritual indicating puberty, of which each of the parents would pierce an ear, symbolising the child's dependence upon them. The Ancient Egyptians are of the oldest bodies found with stretched ear lobes.
In the 1980s and 1990s, there was a saying recited by men that helped them decide which ear to pierce. “Left is right, right is wrong.” The meaning behind this phrase is that men who pierce their left ears are heterosexual, and men who pierce their right ears are homosexual.
Protection against bad luck
According to an ancient Chinese belief, wearing an earring in the left ear symbolizes that that person's life has been endangered, and to prevent a recurrence, an earring is worn on the left ear. It is supposedly protection against bad luck.
Some people pierce for religious or spiritual reasons, while others pierce for self-expression, for aesthetic value, for sexual pleasure, to conform to their culture or to rebel against it. Some forms of piercing remain controversial, particularly when applied to youth.
While nowadays there isn't always a meaning or reason behind piercings other than for adornment or personal choice, some of the first piercings came about due to spiritual or religious reasons. Ancient tribes believed that piercings offered protection from demons and spirits because metal repelled such beings.
In situations like this, adrenaline is released, and after the piercing, people may feel quite relaxed in contrast. For many, people want to push their bodies to the limits and attempt to develop a physical endurance, so the physical part of it can play a part for some people's reasoning for getting pierced.
Like tattoos and other body modifications, piercings express a variety of spiritual and moral meanings. In fact, the Māori, the people of Africa, Aztecs, Indians, and Asians decorated their bodies with piercings to represent fertility, strength, protection, and wealth.
Exodus 21:1-6
“Pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life.”
What is a Tragus Piercing? A tragus piercing is a piercing that is located on the small piece of cartilage that covers the ear canal. In this way it is one type of cartilage piercing, opposed to the traditional position for earrings, lobe piercings that are located on the fleshy part of the ear.
What does the tragus piercing symbolize? A tragus piercing communicates to others that you are vivacious and active. Some could describe you as the life of the party. Simply by flashing your pearly whites, you have the ability to lift the spirits of others around you.
Historically, men's earrings have cultural significance around the world. In Ancient Egypt, male earrings reflected high social status. In Indian history, wearing earrings has been associated with spiritual awakening. Today, earrings are commonly worn by Hindu men and boys over the age of 5.
After getting your ears pierced, it's important to care for them. Leave the earrings in your ears for six weeks or more, even at night. Always wash your hands before touching newly pierced ears. Gently wash your piercings with a mild, fragrance-free soap and water at least once a day.
In traditional Chinese medicine, the left side was believed to be the female side, and right the masculine side. Some people use this as a reason to choose their facial piercings on the left side for females or right side for males. However, in modern culture, there really isn't a male or female side.
A piercing on the right ear indicated that a man should be spared from dangerous labour when possible, because he had mouths to feed. A sign of slaves and prostitutes in Northern Italy.
What does a helix piercing symbolize? This trendy ear piercing symbolizes boldness and courage. People who adorn the helix piercing are often considered edgy, bold, and daring.
Within the Christian community, there are debates around interpreting passages of the Bible to either allow or forbid body piercing. Some Christians who are against body piercing use the “Book of Leviticus” to support the view that body piercing is a sin, arguing that you “should never mark your body”.
It signifies womanhood, elegance, and for some even a sense of rebellion. In Indian nose piercing is as much a part of tradition as bangles, a mangalsutra or a bindi.
The ear piecing ceremony is a ritual performed by all Hindus, irrespective of caste and gender. For girl child the first ear pierced is the left ear. Earlier the ritual was also performed on the male child in many Hindu communities. This tradition is even now continued by many communities.
Catholic Teaching
In terms of moral guidance, the Church's teaching authority doesn't say anything explicitly about tattoos or body piercings. Neither practice is strictly prohibited, nor considered intrinsically evil.
It is believed that piercing the ear helps in hearing the sacred sound, grows the spirit, and cleanses the soul to avoid sin. It is believed that wearing copper or gold in the earlobe helps with the flow of electric current within the body.
Piercings have an amazing, magical ability to help improve your confidence and self image. And for many hundreds of yeas across many cultures piercings have been viewed as a status symbol, and a symbol of beauty and strength. Modern piercing is no different.
This eases one's emotional distress too by working on the pain center in the brain that senses both emotional and physical pain.
The most attractive spot for a piercing is the belly button. The least attractive is a tie between the nose and the nether regions. That's right: Men apparently don't like sexual piercings, or won't admit they do.