From the ancient Egyptians to Clarie’s, piercings of all kinds have been around for centuries each holding their own significance to multiple cultures.

National Piercing Day is said to be created in 2007 by piercing enthusiasts and is now a recognized day in the piercing community (Origins of National Piercing Day).

Despite the day’s modern origins, piercings can be traced back to the 9th century BC. Mummies have even been found with ear piercings dating back 5,000 years. Many cultures used piercings to signify social status. For example, in Egypt belly buttons addressed with gold jewelry represented high class (A Historical Look at Body Piercings). In terms of jewelry, in the Aleutian Islands earrings were made out of sea lion whiskers. The list goes on for the countries with a rich history in body jewelry like India, New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands.

Today, through a piercing professional, you can get many variations of piercings. It’s important to recognize that doing so is a commitment, not only to the piercing itself, but also to the healing process that you must follow to maintain a healthy piercing. Each piercing has a different healing period that can span from eight weeks to six months.

This National Piercing Day celebrate by recognizing the deep history of this ancient practice. You can even participate in getting your own piercing, of course with a parent’s permission. After doing so you can caption your photo #NationalPiercingDay to join in on the online fun and see others’ photos (National Day Calendar).