One of the most requested designs of all times, and one that continues to be popular both among men and women is the rose tattoo. And while most people favor the rose tattoo for it’s grace and beauty there is a significant symbolic meaning behind those pretty petals. It’s a symbol of passion, chastity, and purity. The gift of a single red rose expresses romantic love while a thornless rose declares "love at first sight".
The rose tattoo has enjoyed a varied and interesting history, much as the rose itself has. Early Christians associated the rose with their Roman enemies, hence it became a mark of scorn, but eventually it came to symbolize the survival of persecution. Later yet, won over by its fabulous beauty, Christians adopted the rose as a symbol of the miraculous. At least a dozen saints have their names linked with roses, like Saint Therese of Lisieux, also known as Saint Therese of the Roses. The Virgin Mary herself is called "The Mystical Rose".
