Mexican skulls: meaning of tattooing them and design ideas

One of the designs that have always caught my attention is tattooing some Mexican skulls. And it is that its color and its decoration seem to me a really beautiful design to wear on the skin. So let's get to know its meaning.

Next, in addition to knowing the meaning of this tattoo, We will also see some possibilities to take advantage of them and that our tattoo is unique and original.

Mexico, life and death

To begin with, we must highlight the vision that Mexicans have of life and death. And the thing is that every year on November 1 and 2 the festival of the Day of the Dead is celebrated, something similar to All Saints' Day in Spain, but deep down it has nothing to do with it.

During these days, in Mexico, the protagonists are the decorative elements such as flowers, colors and sugar skulls. These are decorated, with many colors, in a cheerful way, they are sweet and transform a symbol, usually sad and uninspiring, into something that in addition to representing loved ones who are no longer with us, they transform the concept of death a bit.

Personally it seems to me a different way to honor those who are no longer, through a different tattoo design, full of color, that will decorate our skin in a special way.

A Little History

The meaning of tattooing Mexican skulls begins with the story of La Catrina. During the times of the governments of Benito Juárez, Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada and Porfirio Díaz, writings made by the middle class in which they made fun of the lifestyle of the richest class are beginning to become popular. These texts used to be accompanied by drawings of skulls and skeletons, which began to be used as a symbol of mockery towards that part of society (another explanation of why usually the Catrinas are dressed in rich clothes and hats).

The original version of these drawings is by José Guadalupe Posada, who created the term “calavera garbancera”, a criticism for those indigenous people who sold garbanza and wanted to look like Europeans and who denied their own culture and heritage (as you can imagine, also known as garbanceros). Hence the image is that of a skeletal woman dressed only in a French hat with an ostrich feather.

From the garbancera skull to the catrina

Although it was not until years later, when Diego Rivera (husband of the well-known Frida Kahlo) created a mural called 'Dream of a Sunday afternoon in the Alameda Central' where he baptized the "garbancera skull" as "La Catrina". This is because he dressed the "garbancera skull" as if it were a "catrín", which is how elegant and well-dressed men were defined, but in feminine terms. Hence the name and attire with which you currently know them.

On the other hand, there are also the literary skulls, which are compositions in verse that are written on the eve of the day of the dead and that make fun of both the living and the dead, another of the original ways of this country to remember those who are no longer and dispossess death of all its pomp.

And the sugar skulls?

Sugar skulls are one of the star protagonists of this type of tattoos, whose design is based on this typical offering of the Day of the Dead. The sugar skulls can be made of cane sugar or clay (obviously these are not eaten) and are placed on the altar as an offering so that the dead who return during the festivity (day 1 for children and day 2 for adults) find in his honor.

Mexican skull tattoo design ideas

Now that we have seen the meaning of tattooing some Mexican skulls, we are going to present some examples in case you need some inspiration:

Twin skulls

If you have enough space and you want to make two skulls, these is a very good idea. What's more, you can choose to make two the same or make two that look alike, each with its different details. It is a design that also works very well if you want to do it with someone else.

Skull with catrinas

If it seems to you that the skull may be a little lonely, You can always accompany it with an element that helps to complement the tattoo, like these two catrinas that give it a very original touch. The catrinas, in addition, give a lot of play for a realistic tattoo, further from the version based on the typical sweet of this celebration.

Skull tattoo with flowers in the eyes

If you like flowers you can give it a more springy touch by adding a flower to each eye. In addition, you can give it a more personal touch if you choose a flower that you like, which, as you can suppose, will have a related meaning.

Skull tattoo with details

If you want to give your tattoo a different touch, you can always add other elements, such as this case that He changes the front view for one that is halfway between the front and the side and adds some butterfly wings. Remember that you have to like it, so adapt it to your liking.

Where do I get a tattoo?

Tattooing some Mexican skulls is a good idea, but We also have to be as clear as possible where we are going to get the tattoo. Let's go a few ideas:

Skull tattoo on the inside of the arm

They say that it is a painful area to get a tattoo, although we know people who tell us that it did not hurt so much. We assume that it depends on the pain threshold that each one supports. It's a good place if you want to keep it a little more hidden.

Skull tattoo on leg

The thigh is a good place to get a tattoo, it does not hurt excessively and it is a good piece of canvas so that your tattoo artist can make you a big, beautiful and colorful skull. Because this is precisely one of the secrets of tattooing Mexican skulls: color.

Skull tattoo on arm

This part of the arm is more visible than the inner part, which will make more people notice it. And it is a good option if you like to show off your tattoos, besides being a very grateful and not very painful place.

Skull tattoo on chest

The chest is another good area to get a tattooAs with the thigh, it is a fairly wide area and it can be a very cool and detailed tattoo. Obviously, in this case it is better to opt for a very large skull, because it is a place with a lot of space.

I hope you like these designs and that they help you tattoo some Mexican skulls. If you already wear a Mexican skull on your skin, we hope you share it with us, it will be a pleasure to see it. You can also leave us a comment, we will love to read you! And if you have been wanting, you can continue to be inspired by other of our articles, like this one by mexican skull tattoos.