By Mary N. DiZazzo

Pierced Ears-only please!

Ciao bella,

My parents left it up to me when I acquired the desire to pierce my ears. I was a teen and I decided one day to visit our local Methuen Mall and get my ears pierced. It was an enlightening experience with no fear because I knew in the end I would be able to decorate my ear lobes with complete abandon! And I certainly have! At this point I will never be able to wear all my earrings unless I live to be 90! From 4-inch long Chinese pagodas, to pea size cultured pearls, they fill my jewelry arsenal! Who remembers their ear piercing -- when and how & did they do it against Mom's wishes? I needed to put my thinking cap on for that one. After all it is sort of the first sign of independence, freedom or just a statement especially if it was more than ear piercing. I just remember doing it and then telling my parents knowing they probably wouldn't mind. After all coming from Sicilian decent on Mom's side, babies had their ears pierced in infancy. Mom thought it was great and liked my first gold starter studs! I still have them!

Pierced ears go back to biblical days and Moses. Wearing pierced earring loops was a sign of being a slave in the Bible!

In India when girls pierced their ear lobes it was a symbol of a religious act.

To insure a proper Christian burial sailors wore a pierced earring of gold. Wearing the earring loop of gold indicated they sailed around the world and if perished in lands unknown the earring would insure a proper burial!

These present days pierced ears are for embellishing the ear. In a few years down the road I had each ear lobe pierced with another hole insuring to give the other a rest. In the eighties earrings were long & weighted heavy. I saw too many drooped and split ear lobes in my day & it was not going to happen to me! I also may wear clips now and then as a preventative measure. Getting my first pierced ears were the first sign of growing up to become the glamour gal I proudly am today! So many styles for every mood can make a beautiful outlook with just a few ear bobs to frame your face fashionably so!

Buona giornata and God bless the United States of America! Wishing one and all a happy, healthy New Year for 2014!

--Mary N. DiZazzo-Trumbull

Read prior weeks' "All That Zazz" columns at www.allthatzazz.com. Mary is a third-generation cosmetologist and a Massachusetts distributor of Kosmea brand rose hip oil products. She may be contacted at (978) 470-8183 or mary@mary4nails.com.