Year of the Tiger Tattoos

Tiger Tattoos are very popular, particularly since Angelina Jolie had one done, but why not make your Tiger tattoo even more unique by opting for a Chinese Year of the Tiger Tattoo?

In Chinese Astrology 2010 is The Year of the Tiger. Starting on 14 February and ending on 02 February 2011, it is the Chinese zodiac sign of the Tiger which will have a major influence of the lives of people born during this time. Other “Tiger years” are: 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986 and 1998. As the Chinese Zodiac moves through a cycle of 12 years, the next Year of the Tiger will be 2022.

The Tiger is the third sign of the Chinese Zodiac and it represents bravery. However, the Tiger is a very complex character and there is definitely two sides to their personality. When you first meet a Tiger, you will soon realise that they are courageous, protective and brave. Get to know them better and you will realise that Tigers are also very sensitive. In addition Tigers are seriously deep thinkers and also capable of great sympathy.

But watch out! Those born in The Year of The Tiger also have quite a temper and are not necessarily respectful of people in authority or those they disagree with.

Once you have found your ideal Year of the Tiger Tattoo design, you can make sure it will have your own special meaning if you add words and or phrases using Chinese symbols. But watch out!

Because you can research your own symbols due to easy availability on the internet, there is the temptation to do just that. The appeal of saving money is huge. You might think it is OK to download some symbols that you believe say what you are looking for but consider this…..

Britney Spears made a huge mistake when she got her kanji Tattoo. She thought the symbol translated as “mysterious”, when in actual fact it said “strange”.

It is likely you will need a professional translator to make sure your symbols say what you want them to. Chinese symbols evolved over thousands and thousands of years. The oldest kanji date back to somewhere between 17000 BC and 11000 BC! There’s also at least seven different writing styles of kanji.

Unless you really know what you are doing, or you consult someone who knows what they are doing, then you could end up with embarrassing results. The expense of correcting or removing a tattooing mistake does not even bear thinking about and could be as much as TEN times what you paid for the original tattoo.

Even after you have gone to the trouble and expense of getting a properly translated kanji, you also need to make sure that your Tattoo Artist draws it correctly. Remember that when applied, the stencil is a mirror image of the final Tattoo. Make sure that your Artist puts the stencil on your skin the right way!

There's also been incidents of parts of the Tattoo being missed off, so watch out for that too. And if the Tattoo is being applied to your body in an area that you cannot see, then bring someone along to check for you.

Whatever Year of the Tiger Tattoo you finally choose, just make sure that if you include Chinese symbols you consult the people qualified to translate them for you!

And if you need further convincing check out the disclaimer from itunes, that appears on its newly released Chinese Characters Application, where users are tempted to: Add mystery to your writing with Chinese “alphabet.”

However users are warned:

“The translation provided by Chinese Alphabet is intended for personal use and entertainment only. Not recommended for tattoo artists to use this to tattoo their clients, iPhone app developers to localize Chinese apps, CIA agents to communicate national secrets, or security professionals to encrypt passwords.”