Rose tattoo designs are very popular because to Western cultures they represent love. Each color of rose has its own meaning which makes the rose a very personal and romantic tattoo. Rose tattoos are popular among both men and women for this reason. The red rose is the typical rose and the one most commonly chosen for a tattoo.
The red rose represents a true and pure love. The rose also represents passion and desire, which make it a popular dedication tattoo for couples. A single red rose means “I love you” plain and simple, but a red rose without thorns has the added meaning of “love at first sight.”
Meanings for other colors of roses are as follows: Yellow represents friendship and joy, white represents reverence, orange represents enthusiasm and light pink is for sympathy and admiration. Roses have long been seen as representations of love and beauty, dating back to the ancient Greeks.
It was said that roses appeared from the sea foam as Aphrodite was born out of the water. Because of its importance to the Romans, Christians would initially look upon the rose with scorn, but as time worn on the rose became associated with the miraculous and wonderful.
There are a number of saints who have now been associated with roses including Saint Therese and the Virgin Mary herself. As a flower the rose has often been seen as the most beautiful and desired of all the flowers. The Greeks considered it the King of all Flowers while the Romans considered it the Queen.
