Piercings are something that people of different cultures and countries decide to get. While it may be seen as a norm and a tradition in one country, it may be seen as an act of rebellion in another. For example, while it is recently being more accepted, in America, piercing on other parts of the body than the ears are usually viewed as an act of rebellion by older generations. Contrary to this, in India, piercings (specifically nose piercings) are seen as part of a tradition that heads back centuries.
Nose piercings were brought to India by Moghul emperors of the Middle East in the 16th Century. Although piercings can be worn on the nostril, septum, and the bridge of the nose, in India they are usually worn on the left nostril, but in some places both nostrils are pierced. In Ayurvedic medicine the left nostril is associated with the female reproductive organs and a piercing placed there is thought to lessen menstrual pain and make childbirth easier.
Piercings are one way Hindus honor Parvathi, the goddess of marriage. Many women have their noses pierced around the age of 16, known as the traditional marriageable age. The nose ring is never removed once a woman is married and so it is also considered to be a sign of marriage. Piercings are incorporated into Indian weddings, in Maharastra women wear very large nose piercings that often cover the mouth or the side of the face. These piercings are often misused by people that are not Maharashtrian in an act called cultural appropriation.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in Jodhaa Akbar (2008)
In the nomadic Berber and Beja tribes of Africa and the Bedouins of the Middle East, the size of the nose ring is a sign of a family’s wealth. The husband gifts his new wife a nose ring as a sign of financial security for her if her and her husband get divorced.
The ancient Aztecs, the Mayans of Central America, the Haida, Kawakiutul and Tlinglit tribes of the American Northwest practiced tongue piercings in a ritual form. The piercing was done to draw blood to appease the gods and create an altered state of consciousness so that the priest or shaman could communicate with the gods.
Tongue and ear piercing by two priests, Codex Magliabecchiano
Although there are traditional connections to piercings, they are also worn around the world as a fashion statement with no religious or traditional significance.
Millennials- those between 18 and 36- in the US make up 24 percent of the United States population. According to Marketing Research Insights, 23 percent of them have one or more body piercings.
Interviews:
Delsy Espinoza:
What ethnicity are you?
Peruvian
What do piercings mean in your culture?
A few months after my birth, I was taken to get my lobes pierced. In Latino culture, this is a very popular custom. Some babies even leave the hospital they were born in with little studs in their lobes. Some may see it as inappropriate, especially since a baby can’t consent to it, but in Latino cultures it is simply the norm. In fact, it would seem weird to see a baby girl without her ears pierced, and the child herself might feel left out later in life since all her friends would be able to wear and buy cute earrings. It is essentially a sign to others that you have a baby girl, this way when people comment on how cute your baby is, they’ll know she’s a girl. It is also seen as easier to get a baby’s ears pierced early on since they won’t remember the pain and they won’t be able to play with or irritate their piercing.
When I lived in Peru, all of my friends had piercings as well. It wasn’t something I really noticed since I expected every little girl to have them. Once I move to New York, I realized how different my culture was from American culture. In the playground, girls would comment on how “cool” my earrings were since the majority of them didn’t have them. It became apparent to me that it wasn’t a normal thing to do in America.
How many piercings do you have?
I have two lobe piercings on each of my ears, one industrial piercing (which I count as two piercings since there is 2 holes) on my right ear and a nose piercing on my right nostril.
When did you get your first piercing/the memory of your first piercing?
I was a few months old so I don’t remember anything.
How did you convince your parents to allow you to get your piercings?
Although my mother was very open and excited about my first lobe earrings, she wasn’t so happy about the idea of me having other piercings. For my second lobe piercings I used the fact that she had the same piercing (even though she no longer wears earrings there). She finally accepted.
My industrial piercing was a 1-2 year fight since it’s a piercing that is not only very visible and technically two piercings, but also takes very long to heal.
My nose piercing wasn’t as hard to convince my mom, but a lot more difficult than my second lobe piercings. She things little studs look cute so she was more open about it until I decided to change it to a ring. I purposely chose a very thin gold ring so that it wouldn’t stand out that much.
Beth Freynk:
What ethnicity are you?
I am a Russian Jew, born and raised in the U.S.
What do piercings mean in your culture?
I don’t think piercings have any particular cultural value to either Russians or Jews. Russians definitely value precious metals like gold and love to show off their wealth on their kids. That may be a general reason for an early piercing age.
How many piercings do you have?
I have five piercings. Two on each ear and one on my nose.
When did you get your first piercing/the memory of your first piercing?
I don’t remember getting my first piercing because I was less than a year old.
What are you parent’s thoughts on piercings?
My mom is indifferent to piercings. She went with me to get my nose done because she has a very liberal mentality. Her whole thing is “if I let my daughter do whatever she wants with her look she won’t feel the need to rebel later.” Other Russian parents are often significantly more strict.
How did you convince your parents to allow you to get your piercings?
I didn’t have to convince my mom. My dad also didn’t mind at all.
Sabrina Momtaz:
What ethnicity are you?
Bengali (From Bangladesh)
What do piercings mean in your culture?
Most girls get their ears pierced really early. Family members then gift the girl with gold earrings, which is tradition. It’s also common to get second ear piercings later. When they hit puberty, they usually get their nose pierced. If not then, by the time they get married, all girls have ears and nose pierced. It’s a sign of maturity for girls/women. If a woman doesn’t have her nose pierced, then she is considered not feminine, or manly, in a un complimentary way, if that makes sense.
How many piercings do you have?
I had three but now I have two. I will get my nose re-pierced this summer. I think I got my ears pierced when I was seven. I went with my grandmother to a neighbor’s house to get it done. One side was messed up the first time so my grandma took me again to get it fixed. For the nose, I went with my mom two years ago. After it closed due to an infection, my mom’s been bugging me to get it done again.
How did you convince your parents to allow you to get your piercings?
Like I said above, she said without the nose pierce she thinks I look like a boy. I never had to convince them. It was my mom that had to convince me to my nose done. My dad is totally cool with it too. He bought me a diamond nose pin. 😀
In our culture, it’s expected for a girl to get at least her ears and nose done, so no convincing necessary for the parents.
Fun facts:
Kharene Gittens:
What ethnicity are you?
Black/ Caribbean American
What do piercings mean in your culture?
Nothing in particular
How many piercings do you have?
3, one on each ear and my cartilage
When did you get your first piercing/the memory of your first piercing?
At 16 as my birthday present. It wasn’t painful, but i was glad mommy made us wait to get it done. It made me appreciate my natural beauty without it and really love who i was.
What are you parent’s thoughts on piercings?
They were not the biggest advocates. Daddy does not like them, and Mommy discourages them, however, they wouldn’t stop us from getting them as long as we genuinely want them.
How did you convince your parents to allow you to get your piercings?
When I got my first pair of piercings, my parents were influenced by my older sister who got hers when she was 17. With my second piercing, it was an understanding among us that at a certain age it would be my decision.
Nikita Khalid:
What ethnicity are you?
Russian and Bengali
What do piercings mean in your culture?
In Bengali culture piercings are more a cultural normality. Russian culture does not really rely heavily on piercings.
How many piercings do you have?
4 piercings
When did you get your first piercing/the memory of your first piercing?
I got my first two lobe piercings when I was 5 years old, and my next 2 cartilage piercings when I was 16.
What are your parent’s thoughts on piercings?
My mom is more against piercings, however my father is very lenient on piercings
How did you convince your parents to allow you to get your piercings?
I just got the piercings on my own and had them surprise my parents later heheheheh
