In many cultures getting a tattoo is considered an important ritual. The word “tattoo” actually means “to mark something” or to “tap into the body”. The history of tattoos goes as far as 5000 years. Although there are no clear records of the origin of the practice, but history shows many nations have used tattoos for centuries.
In Hawaii, locals used to tattoo three dots on their tongues every time they lost a loved one. And Egyptian females would get tattoos for protection during pregnancy. Maoris would tattoo their heads as a ritual during different stages of life. Apart from the local traditions, tattoos were also used to mark ownership, such as in Ancient Rome.
Although getting a tattoo is quite a painful procedure, but that doesn’t dissuade many people from getting them anyways. To create a permanent mark on the skin, the colored materials has to be inserted deep under the skin by using some sharp needles. People use tattoos to mark important events in their lives. 
Sometimes a design becomes popular and people all over the world start following the trend. One such popular design is the hourglass. Many people can be seen supporting different versions of the hourglass tattoos and you can even see many creative designs on the internet featuring the hourglass.
Hourglass Tattoo
The reason the hourglass tattoos are so popular is because of the philosophy behind them. It is the harsh reality of life that we are only here in this world for a certain period of time. Every minute that we spend here is a minute less from our life period. So people who understand the true value of time and how it affects our life, usually show it by getting an hourglass tattoo. 
There are many different types of the design. A design with birds enclosed in an hourglass show how every person is just trying to find a way to break free. A tattoo with an owl and an hourglass, depicts that time makes you wise.
The most common design is perhaps the hourglass with wings, which shows the biggest reality of life that “time flies”. If you are planning to get an hourglass tattoo you can perhaps come with your own twist to the popular design or use some of the creative designs already being used by people.
