The most popular use of pig's head for sacrifice originated in the Shang Dynasty, because at this time the natural power of wild boar was worshipped. It is used for sacrifice to show solemnity. When pig heads were selected, the first choice was to have facial wrinkles in the shape of "寿" for luck. Pig's head and the whole pig are auspicious.

Pig meat has come to be seen as unacceptable to some world religions. In Buddhism, the pig symbolizes delusion, one of the three poisons. The eating of pork is forbidden in Islam and Judaism, but pigs are sacred in other religions.

Several idioms related to pigs have entered the English language, often with negative connotations of dirt, greed, or the monopolization of resources. People all over the world have made pigs stand for "extremes of human joy or fear, celebration, ridicule, and repulsion". Pig names are used as epithets for negative human attributes, especially greed, gluttony, and uncleanliness.

I was surprised and intrigued reading the very different possible meanings of a pig head. This is not to judge, but to think a moment about this situation. Because it is difficult to say what could be seen as right or wrong, what should be shown or hidden away.

Courtesy of the artist