Stork bite birthmarks, also known as salmon patches or angel kisses, are common birthmarks that appear on a baby’s skin at birth. These birthmarks are typically harmless and fade over time, but they have long been associated with various spiritual meanings and urban legends. In this article, we will explore nine spiritual meanings often attributed to stork bite birthmarks, debunking some myths and shedding light on the significance these birthmarks hold in different cultures and belief systems. Whether you are a parent curious about the meaning behind your baby’s birthmark or simply intrigued by spiritual symbolism, this article will provide you with fascinating insights and stories.
1. The Origins of Stork Bite Birthmarks
Where did the idea behind the stork bite birthmark come from? There are many theories on the subject, but no one knows for sure. Here are a few.
Medical Reasons
Currently, medicine believes that stork bite birthmarks come from skin discoloration. It is a vascular birthmark, which means it comes from a defect in the blood vessels under the skin. Stork bite birthmarks are red or pink because of the blood vessels.
Stork bite birthmarks on the nape of the neck come from a clump of blood vessels that formed in that area as a baby developed in utero. However, on other parts of the body, especially the face, these marks come from blood vessels that didn’t form correctly.
Plus, stork bites can appear as a result of something else. For example, during crying, a baby may become so worked up that they hold their breath or hyperventilate. Both actions can cause some broken blood vessels. In some cases, because stork bites often occur in newborns, giving birth to the child may be stressful enough on their body to cause some broken blood vessels.
Old Wives’ Tale
The most common origin story for stork bites is that they’re left by the stork as it delivers a baby. This legend is most common in America, but it has taken on new meanings depending on where you are in the world.
Ironically, what we now refer to as stork bite birthmarks were once called “stork kisses.” In early times, people believed that if a stork left one of these marks on your body, you were destined for great things.
In Europe and other cultures where it is common to tell children about the stork delivering babies, these marks are said to be proof that a child is special. In this context, children with these marks are often thought to be smarter or more beautiful than other children.
Spiritual Meaning
Other cultures have different beliefs about these marks. For example, unlike America and Europe where storks deliver babies and leave behind these marks as proof of delivery, India believes that the saints Shethji Maharaj and Swaminarayan leave behind the marks when a baby is born. Because of this belief, these marks are called “Shethji Maharaj’s footsteps.”
2. The Symbolism of Angel Kisses
Due to the widespread belief that stork bites are angel kisses, they are often associated with symbols of encouragement and protection. Those who believe that stork bites are angel kisses also typically believe that the angels who left them were there to protect their loved ones and guide them on the right path.
There is a belief in some families that an angel leaves a stork bite on the baby to give it a kiss and always watch over it. In other cultures, stork bites have been interpreted to mean that the baby will have the ability to communicate with angels and divine spirits. All of these interpretations of stork bites are meant to inspire feelings of hope, support, love and protection in siblings, parents, friends and other loved ones of the baby.
Although there may not be any scientific evidence to prove that these specific meanings are associated with infantile hemangiomas, these birthmark meanings often hold true in families due to the association of stork bites with guardian angels. Feeding into this kind of belief can be helpful as it may make children feel safer and happier.
If your child has a stork bite birthmark, it is up to you to decide what kind of meaning you want to assign to it and convey to your little one. If the thought of stork bites being angel kisses inspires feelings of hope, encouragement and protection in your family, it could be something worth considering.
There are several different birthmark meanings across many different cultures around the world. In gaining more knowledge about specific birthmark meanings, we can gain more understanding about an age-old tradition of superstitions.
Whether or not you believe in birthmark meanings or superstitions associated with them, one thing is for certain: stork bites, angel kisses or Michigan kisses (as they’re often called) are relatively common and completely harmless. In most cases, they’ll eventually fade with time. But until then, we think all new parents should embrace the superstitions and call them what they truly are: a gift from above.
3. Stork Bites in Different Cultures
Stork bite has long been a strong symbol and holds many meanings depending on the culture. Here are a few cultures and how they perceive stork bites.
Chinese
Stork bite is also a very popular symbol in China and it’s highly regarded as a lucky mark. The Chinese refer to stork bites as “angel’s kisses” and they believe it means an angel has kissed the baby above the brow to leave its mark. Another belief is that stork bites are linked to the idea of reincarnation, indicating that the baby is someone reborn who requires more love from the parents.
Thai
In Thailand, a stork bite is typically referred to as a strawberry mark. It is believed that if a child has a strawberry mark then it means that the child was kissed by their deceased grandfather or grandmother from their maternal line. The mark occured as a result of the ghost kissing the baby on their neck but it doesn’t exactly explain why stork bites are also found in other areas.
In Thailand, when you see a child with this mark, it is considered to be very lucky and indeed, this makes them extra special because of their “kiss from an angel.”
Old Wives Tales
According to old wives tales, stork bites have a unique connection to animals. Some old wives tales believe that a stork bite means any number of things from being connected to cats and snakes, to having a child born with a birth defect. Many of these are just superstitions but still highly fascinating nonetheless!
There are also many superstitions linked to storks themselves. Many old wives tales believe that storks bring babies when pregnant women go into labor. Other superstitions believe that if you dream of a stork, it’s an omen of good luck and great fortune.
Storks are often believed to be good luck charms and bringers of happiness and spiritual protection. Across many cultures, the white stork symbolizes rebirth and protection.
4. Stork Bites as Past-Life Connections
People who believe in past lives and reincarnation also have their own interpretations of stork bite birthmarks. According to them, these marks are signs that you were too attached to a person in a past life. The two of you were such good friends or lovers that you couldn’t bear to be apart. So, when you were reborn, a part of that person came with you, which manifested as a stork bite.
Another explanation for stork bite birthmarks is that they occur when our past life and our current one don’t align. Reincarnation comes with a lot of karmic baggage. Where your past actions may have been negative, your new life is positive. As a result, the mark is a leftover from your negative karma and stands as a warning to remain true to your current life.
In some cultures, parents have to heal or cleanse the stork mark to prevent memories of the past life from seeping through into the present one. This is important because the child needs to move on from the previous life and focus on his or her current one. If they can do that, their past-life actions won’t affect their new life and allow them to have a better future.
Stork bites also serve as reminders of our previous incarnations and what we should learn from them. They can help us remember our past mistakes so we can avoid repeating them in our new lives.
What to Do: Unlike other birthmarks, there is no surgical procedure to remove stork bites. Instead, you need to treat them with care and wait for them to fade on their own. When they do seem overly pronounced, you can use natural remedies like honey or coconut oil to soothe them. Some parents even use light massages on the affected areas to speed up the process.
5. The Superstitions and Myths Surrounding Stork Bites
The red birthmark gets its name “the stork bite” from the myth that a stork delivers a baby to its mother. In medieval Europe, people believed that storks were the birds delivering the babies. They thought that storks would carry a baby in a bag with its beak and drop it to the mother.
1. Your Child is Lucky
Another common belief is that if your child has a stork bite, then you are a lucky parent. Chinese superstitions believe that if your child had a stork bite or any birthmark on his body, it means that he is very lucky and can bring good fortune to your household. The more stork bites and birthmarks your child has, the luckier they are. Some people even go on to say that if children have these types of birthmarks, their future will be bright and prosperous.
2. You Were A Beast In A Past Life
In the spirituality realm, some believe that these red birthmarks are believed to be animal bites from wounds created in past lives. For example, if you have a birthmark on your back, you may have been bitten by an animal there in your past life. The belief is that when you experience pain in previous lives you carry the mark on to your next life.
3. A Family Member Died During Childbirth
Some people believe that the reason why their child was born with a red birthmark is because it represents a family member who has recently passed on. They think that it’s a symbol of the deceased family members who are always there watching and protecting them.
4. You Ate Something You Weren’t Supposed To
In Brazilian culture, they believe that if a pregnant woman looks at something she wasn’t supposed to eat during childbirth, then her child will take on some of those characteristics as a stork bite.
5. The Direction of Your Future Spouse
There’s an old tale going around in China where they say that if a woman has a stork bite on her eyelid then her future spouse will have one on the opposite side of their eyelid (left will be right and right will be left).
6. Stork Bites as Lucky Charms
Ironically, stork bites are often considered as lucky charms.
What do we mean?
Well, as you can see, birthmarks often have certain spiritual meanings. It’s believed that they grew while the baby was still in the mother’s womb. In a sense, they’re seen as blessings or good omens.
After all, these birthmarks are present from birth and are permanent for the rest of the person’s life. They’re a part of you forever, and it starts it grow before you’re even born. What could’ve caused the birthmark is something miraculous to think about.
As such, baby stork bites are also viewed in a positive light. It’s even thought as a sign that the baby will be successful in life or have a harmonious one with the family.
This isn’t unique to stork bites though. Different types of birthmarks come with different meanings too.
For example, there’s the belief that a V-shaped mark on their head (also known as an angel’s kiss) is symbolic of an angel’s protection.
There’s also the notion that a heart-shaped mark on their chest is a sign that they’ll have an abundance of love. It doesn’t necessarily mean romantic love. It could be love from family or friends too.
A mark on the stomach is also thought to be a sign of prosperity throughout their life. This could come in different forms such as in wealth, health and more.
There are other beliefs about birthmarks too. There are some who believe that they’re caused by supernatural forces or outside spirits. This includes things like witches hexing your family or spirits that are seeking out revenge.
That being said, it doesn’t change anything beyond aesthetics for your baby.
7. Scientific Explanations Behind Stork Bites
Medical professionals don’t know what causes stork bites to appear. However, they do know why the red or pink discolorations form.
As mentioned earlier, stork bite marks appear as a result of dilated blood vessels. This occurs while a child is still developing in their mother’s womb. During the early stages of pregnancy, an unborn child’s circulatory system is still developing. Both capillaries and blood vessels begin to form and grow all over their body. This process is repeated through all stages of pregnancy to ensure that the circulatory system fully develops before a child is born.
Most capillaries in an unborn child’s body are very small and thin. They are also weak and fragile, which means that they can easily rupture. This can happen if an unborn child kicks or moves in the womb or if the mother bumps into something while she is pregnant.
When this happens, it causes blood to leak out of the capillaries and into surrounding tissues. The leaking blood settles at the surface layers of the skin, which causes a red or pink discoloration to appear.
In most cases, stork bites resolve on their own after a baby is born. The human body eventually reabsorbs the leaked blood, which makes the red or pink coloration go away. However, this process may take several weeks for some children. In a few rare cases, a stork bite mark may not go away on its own and may require medical attention.
The same principles apply to adult stork bite marks like angel kisses and other birthmarks caused by similar factors. However, stork bite marks are not always limited to newborn babies.
The discolorations can also occur in adults when their capillaries burst and release blood into surrounding tissues. This causes red or pink patches to form on the skin that resemble those left behind by stork bites.
Stork bite marks are not painful and harmless. They don’t cause any symptoms in children or adults who have them and do not pose any health risks or concerns. Most parents are comforted to know this information if their child develops stork bites after birth.
8. Famous Individuals with Stork Bite Birthmarks
Stork Bite Birthmarks are harmless and are not caused by medical issues, which means there’s no reason to cover them up. Despite this, the stigma continues to exist. But it’s important for people to realize you can still be in the spotlight even if you have a stork bite.
Here are some well-known individuals with stork bites:
Angelina Jolie
Back in the ’90s, we all knew Angelina Jolie from her roles in Hackers and Foxfire. Since then, she’s won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and a Golden Globe for Best Actress. Jolie is best known for her roles in Girl, Interrupted and the Tomb Raider series. She’s also a director, producer and screenwriter great humanitarian efforts.
But did you know she also has a stork bite? If you look at photos of her when she was younger, you can see it on her forehead.
Eve Johnson
Eve Johnson is an American actress, singer and fashion designer who has had minor roles on shows like Monk, CSI: Miami and The Comeback. She is best known for portraying Young Gabriella Montez in High School Musical 3: Senior Year. She also played Young MJ in Spider-Man 3.
In a 2012 interview with YSBNow, she shared that she was born with a strawberry mark on her knee. To learn more about Eve Johnson and other celebrities with birthmarks, check out our article on Birthmarked Stars!
Blake McIver Ewing
Blake McIver Ewing is an American actor who started his career at age six on Star Search and The People’s Court. He then went on to portray Derek Boyd Jr. on the television show Full House and Waldo in the 1994 film version of The Little Rascals. He’s also done voiceover work for shows like Hey Arnold! (as Wolfgang) and Recess (as Menlo).
Blake is known for sharing his experiences as a gay man living openly with HIV on his social media platforms. He recently appeared in the reality series The Circle as a catfish named Emily.
In a 2019 Instagram post, he shared that he used to be self-conscious about his birthmark because [he] thought it was ugly. But now, he’s proud of it.
In conclusion, while stork bite birthmarks may have different spiritual meanings according to various cultures and beliefs, it’s important to remember that these interpretations are largely subjective and based on personal experiences. The urban legends surrounding stork bite birthmarks can be intriguing, but it’s essential to approach them with a critical mindset. Whether you view these birthmarks as a sign of good luck, an angel’s kiss, or a past-life connection, they are ultimately a natural occurrence that fades over time. Embrace the uniqueness of these birthmarks and appreciate the stories and cultural significance they hold.
