18 Patriotic Canadian Flag Tattoos

A warning to all Canadians: this article was written by a non-native, so please excuse the inevitable faux pas while I attempt to discuss Canadian culture.

If you’re from Canada, then you really do have a lot to be thankful for. Beautiful lands, domination of the best sport in the world, and some of the most genuine people you’ll ever come across. Here are a few examples of tattoos on people that also happen to feel the same.

This Superman symbol.

I’ve seen a few of these Superman Canadian flag tattoos floating around. The concept is pretty cool, hence the many reproductions, but if it has a deeper meaning than just being something some Canadian Marvel fan dreamt up, I couldn’t tell ya. (Photo: Isabelle)

This Canadian bottle cap.

It’s easy to figure out why this Molson Canadian bottle cap was inked on the back of his leg. One look at this little guy and any beer drinker’s mouth instantly turns into a saliva farm. Molson Canadian is Canada’s claim to fame when it comes to premium lager. Molson Canadian was introduced to the world in 1959 by the Molson Coors Brewing Company. The rest is history. (Photo: Liz Venom)

This monochromatic flag.

Here we have to all too popular flag-under-the-skin tattoo but this time with a unique twist. No color. I have to say it looks pretty bad ass. (Photo: Styled Steel)

This flesh wound.

If you Google “Canadian flag tattoos,” you’ll find that these shredded skin tattoos are far and away the most popular designs. Actually you’ll find the same thing is true if you do a search for flag tattoos of any country. The design illustrates “my patriotism is anything but skin deep.” (Photo: Black Sheep)

This shredded flag.

This flag is so torn apart you can barely tell what this tat is supposed to be. Still looks good though. (Photo: Derek Livezey)

This killer calf tattoo.

Awesome piece. A bunched up flag is visible under the skin. (Photo: Kush)

This large back piece.

We know, we know. In the winter Canada turns into a magical winter wonderland. Let’s go! (Photo: Eduardo)

This Sailor Jerry tribute piece.

“Rocked in the cradle of the deep.” If you’re not deep into the tattoo scene, you may not be familiar with Sailor Jerry. Sailor Jerry, birth name Norman Collins, was probably the single most important American tattoo artist that ever lived. His work was so frequently copied that he had to sign his work “The Original Sailor Jerry.” For more info, check out this great article by JP.

This valid message.

Here we have a maple leaf accompanied by the text “strong and free,” which is a line from Canada’s national anthem O Canada. The complete line reads “The True North strong and free.” (Photo: Matt Duits)

This Maple Jack.

Born British. Proud to be Canadian. Problem solved. (Photo: Kat Cleland)

Canada, Eh.

Eh. A distinctly Canadian two-letter phrase that’s almost always included when anyone attempts to imitate a Canadian accent. (Photo: unknown)

This blowing flag.

(Photo: Ryan Tews)

Lest we forget.

From the context of this piece one would assume that this is a tribute to fallen soldiers — which is probably indeed the case here. However, the phrase “Lest we forget,” is a line from Kipling’s poem “Recessional,” which actually has nothing to do with those fallen in battle. (Photo: Kyle)

This Cape Breton tribute tattoo.

In awesome tribute to Cape Breton Island, located in the province of Nova Scotia. (Photo: Obsidian Rose)

This striped maple leaf.

Maybe the title of this article should have been “18 Patriotic Canadian Pride Tattoos,” because as you can see not every tattoo on this list is a flag. This maple leaf has just a smudge of Canadian color. (Photo: Sean Sanchez)