Boo! Tattoos That Go Bump in the Night

Do you believe in ghosts? If so, National Paranormal Day was made for you. This holiday, which falls on May 3rd, celebrates all things paranormal and encourages believers to participate in a variety of activities—from using a ouija board to using EMF meters to read electromagnetic fields to binge watching “The Conjuring” film franchise.

Belief in ghosts, in the context of animism and ancestor worship, can be found in pre-literature cultures. Ghosts were mentioned briefly in the Old Testament of The Bible, as seen in the story of the Prophet Samuel and the Witch of Endor. Ghosts also appeared throughout classic Greek mythology, specifically in Homer’s “Odyssey” and “Iliad.”

During the Elizabethan Era, William Shakespeare wrote ghosts into many of his plays, notably “Hamlet,” “Julius Caesar,” “Richard III,” and “Macbeth.” By the Victorian Era, American Gothic author Edgar Allan Poe emerged onto the scene and released the now famous “The Tell-Tale Heart.”

Cinema became hooked on ghost stories during the 1930s and 1940s, with “The Uninvited” terrifying audiences worldwide. The need for paranormal horror movies grew throughout the coming years, giving us cult classics like “The Exorcist,” “The Shining,” “The Sixth Sense,” and “The Innocents.”

Today, ghost stories can be found throughout television, literature and film, with tales spanning from horror to comedy to romance. And in honor of National Paranormal Day, we’ve curated some of our favorite ghost inspired tattoos from talented artists around the world. Take a look at their spooky ink in the gallery below, then let us know your thoughts on this story on social media.