In between Birth and Death, Past and Future, the Self and the Others: An Anthropological Insight on Commemorative and Celebrative Tattoos in Central Italy

European society has been described more than once as poor in shared rites of passage. The manipulation skin seems to be an increasingly popular solution fulfil perceived cultural gaps. Can contemporary tattoos interpreted tools commemorating life events, especially the occasion births and deaths? This article analyses meanings associated with collected during two ethnographies central Italy. Based on qualitative interviews participant observation, first fieldwork focuses death-commemorative tattoos, while a 2020 (n)ethnography investigates birth-celebrative tattoos. Data confirm that body is mirror self works plastic stage where embodiment mourning other emotions meets social world. Tattoos are attempts personalized spiritualities, deaths become key-moments existence elected pillars self. However, they not (only) private affair. paper addresses intersubjective valence their communicative purpose. In parallel references related both others, ethnographical data support interpretation modern self-making strategies, applied re-ordinate past project suitable for future.