Is this the Year for Pierced Ears in Your Family?

Do you have pierced ears?  Do you remember "getting them done"?  Was it part of a family ritual or coming of age milestone, or did it involve months of nagging, pleading and begging?

Ear piercing is a beautification process that is many, many, many generations old. In fact, one of the oldest mummy remains discovered from 3,000 BCE had ear piercings, and gold earrings have also been found in archaeological remains from the same era.

 

While this is certainly fascinating, what interests us most at Oh My Giddy Aunt is not the ancient history but how ear piercing has developed as a modern ritual. And how those modern rituals become beautiful, enduring and affirming family traditions.

 

Different cultures and different religions have different modern rituals when it comes to ear piercings. In Spain and Latin America, babies are often pierced immediately upon birth, even before they leave the hospital. Solid gold children's earrings are often given to new parents as a gift. In the Hindu religion and culture, infants and toddlers get their ears pierced as part of the karnavedha, one of the 16 sacraments, rituals, and sacrifices which mark early stages of life. And in the Kenyan culture ear piercing is an elaborate and vital part of transition rituals – either from childhood to youth, or from youth to adulthood.

 

In Australia we don’t have a single tradition that dominates when and how ear piercing is done in the community, but we do have strong family traditions. 

At Oh My Giddy Aunt we’re self-appointed guardians of tradition and memory. We love hearing stories from parents about their child’s first pair of little bluebird earrings, especially when it is part of a bluebird story that reaches back through the generations. Or the history and tradition that leads to grandparents giving precious gemstone studs on the occasion of their granddaughter’s ear piercing.

If you’re looking to set up your own family traditions, you might be wondering when the right time is to have your own child’s ears pierced. Again, it’s really up to you, dependent on

your own culture and traditions. However, today’s research suggests that you should wait until your child is at least six months old as this allows your baby’s immune response to be more fully developed and your child will have had their immunisations to protect against the risk of tetanus and blood borne

infections.

When you decide it is the right time, you may find it’s a beautiful milestone worth commemorating. If you don’t already have your own traditions, it’s a good time to think about starting one, or talking with others about their ideas and experiences.

 

 

Whatever your traditions may be, your Giddy Aunts always have some suggestions for earrings for all ages and stages... all with their own special stories, of course.

A beautiful, simple pair of round, gold studs are perfect first earrings for a small child. They are simple, minimalist and the rounded shape means they’ll be less likely to catch on clothing or bedding. Gold is an excellent material since its hypoallergenic and when you buy something made from precious materials they can be kept for your child’s own child someday.

 

 

If your child is a little bit older, they may have their own opinion about what earrings they’d like to wear. While starting with gold is always the best way to go, it won’t be long until they can move on to something else, and these can become part of your own beautiful family traditions. We adore vibrant ladybug studs which appeal to children and adults alike. And they bring that little bit of extra luck along with them! 

 

If your child is between the ages of 10 and 12, they might be keen for something a little bit more grown up.

 

We love our forget-me-not flower studs, made to order in Australia in the precious metal desired. The design is both classic and youthful, and will suit your preteen down to a tee, but can be worn throughout life

So many choices, from pearl earrings to gemstones, sterling silver or solid gold, fabulous and fun or classic and keep forever!  We have a pair of earrings to suit every style, story and special occasion. Take a browse through our full Earring Range online for some inspiration or if you are looking for pair with special meaning or symbolism please feel free to contact us and we can find them for you!

 

And did you know, you can turn just about any of our charms into dangle hook earrings, or even studs if you have a specific story to tell. Just ask us and we will be happy to help!

Family traditions are so important. They carry meaning, convey a sense of belonging and create a thread that stretches love and memory from us to future generations. Someday your own grandchild might tell the story of the special jewellery passed on from her grandmother. She might say, ‘Great-grandma gave these precious earrings to your grandma on her 21st birthday. Grandma gave them to me on mine. And now I’m giving them to you.’ And what can be more precious than that?