Did you know that the practice of garden decor can be traced back all the way to 16th century BC Egypt!?
As time has gone by, the opinions on what looks appealing in a garden have shifted, just like any trend.
Something we see again and again is the plastic pink flamingo.
Sometimes you may see only one, while other times you may see one hundred. But what does this mean?
Pink flamingos symbolize things like beauty, pizazz, vibrancy, romance, harmony, parties, and elegance.
Many people use them in their yards as a symbol of this symbolism.
Additionally, there have been many cases of people getting “flocked” (getting a plastic flamingo in their yard for charity or as a prank) – and this is just one of the things we will cover in this guide to the plastic pink flamingo!
What Does The Pink Flamingo Symbolize?
Pink flamingos have so many associated symbols that it’s easy to see how they could become decorative items back and front yards across America.
Beauty
The moment you look at flamingos you’ll see they are beautiful birds.
They have been accentuated in paintings and photographic images and are some of the most attention grabbing birds.
So it should be no surprise to you that they are considered a symbol of beauty.
Parties
We know this might seem a bit peculiar but context and backlog is key.
Flamingos are also a relevant symbol of partying because they are very social birds.
Flamingos typically live in huge colonies, sometimes with thousands of them in one place.
So, if you’re throwing a party, a flamingo could be the key decoration.
Furthermore – a lot of people think that flamingos can provide some degree of spiritual guidance. It has been said, if a flamingo comes into your life out of the blue, it could be the sign that you should spend time with others and socialise more.
These birds are helping you understand that there is so much to be gained by spending time with others.
Romance
Just the color of a flamingo, with its pinks and reds, can evoke feelings of romance.
But more interestingly these birds are quite the romantics themselves, and during mating season can be seen performing elaborate courting gestures.
This includes a variety of dancing to woo their potential mate.
But these birds don’t mate for life, like some other species, but when they do mate they take their responsibilities seriously, which is likely why they are a representation of romance.
Pizzazz
You have to admit, flamingos are ostentatious birds that remind you of glimmer, glam, and gilt.
You’ll find flamingos as garden ornaments for this very reason, but other places, like night clubs, use flamingos decoration too!
If the flamingo is your spirit animal, then it’s highly likely that you are an extroverted and a little wild!
It’s about making a statement that you want the attention on you, even if you’re a little apprehensive internally! A flamboyant appearance will keep you showing up confidently!
Vibrance
With just a quick look at a flamingo, you can tell these are very bright and colourful and so it is quite fitting to have one of the symbols for flamingo be vibrance.
Interestingly enough – when they are born, flamingos are far less vibrant and they actually have grey feathers.
It is not until they get to be adults that those bright colours come out and this is because of beta carotene (which is part of their diet).
Again, we must look at the significance in terms of the flamingo being a spirit animal.
This tells you that you should not be afraid to stand out and live to your potential; there is something in all of us that can shine!
Elegance
Flamingos are not only one of the most beautiful birds in the world, they are also very elegant and graceful animals and this is yet another thing that they represent.
You typically will see them congregating in pools of shallow water, especially if they are coastal.
But they can also fly and when doing so, they can fly with such grace and elegance.
And this is a reminder to us that we too can be just as elegant as these magnificent birds when we show dedication.
Balance
It’s not rocket science to see the connection between this odd-looking bird and the idea of balance.
Just think about the way these feathered friends can stand on one leg for prolonged periods of time.
Scientifically, there are plenty of reasons that may contribute to this, including regulating body temperature and conserving energy, but symbolically, it’s not like you have to try to find balance by standing on one leg every waking moment.
Rather, you might consider finding balance in your life between work, friends, family, hobbies, romance and any other obligations.
Pink Flamingos As A Cultural Symbol
Flamingos are prominent in many places around the world including:
- parts of Asia and the Middle East
- South America
- and Africa
You’re probably not surprised to hear that there are many cultural meanings behind these birds.
In Children’s Literature, we have the great story of Alice In Wonderland, where she plays croquet with a flamingo. Many paintings have been made based on the idea of the beauty of a flamingo.
Flamingos were seen as a highly regarded bird in many ancient civilizations and were sometimes even sacred.
For example – in ancient Egypt, people had a strong belief that flamingo had a close association with Ra – the God of the Sun. This is why you see a lot of artefacts from this ancient civilization of flamingos.
In Aztec culture, Flamingos were very sacred and often used in tomb art.
It was thought that because they were so beautiful, the images of flamingo would please the Gods.
To Asia, and they also play an important role in the Hindu religion.
These people associate the flamingo as part of the Hamsa which assists in transporting the ‘high’ Gods so it is not a huge leap to understand why they are so revered.
Get Flocked!
We’ll start getting into some of the more fun stuff now.
These days, the flamingo is most associated with the ‘Get Flocked’ idea. Charities or slightly more mischievous jokers invade a persons yard with a bunch of cheap plastic flamingos.
Typically, during the night the jokers would show up and install a flock of flamingos in the yard of an unsuspecting victim.
Usually there would be a sign around the neck of one of the flamingos that said ‘You’ve been flocked.’ There would also be another sign that detailed why the flamingoes were in the yard, which is usually because it is either part of a fundraising event for a charity.
Victims can raise money to have the flock removed from their yard, but they get to choose whose yard the flock will visit next.
A harmless way of raising some money for a charity and hopefully putting a smile on someones face.
As always, there are outliers who have not been impressed by the flocking, and have been known to remove the flamingos or discard them in the local waste collection.
Conclusion
Flamingos are awesome animals with one of the coolest colors on all the birds!
But they are much more than just nature, and for many thousands of years, it has been one of the most symbolic animals and held reverence.