“Christmas is a magical time of the year” is quite the understatement; for some, it’s THE best time of the year, and well worth celebrating outside the month of December.

A period marked by the best of food and even better company, when faith and goodwill abound and the world is illuminated, Christmas is, to the true devotee, as much a state of mind and heart as it is a calendar date.

These Christmas tattoo design ideas aren’t just adornments intended to be shown at the appropriate time and otherwise concealed for the rest of the year. No, they’re a living testament to the man who keeps the spirit alive all year round.

From snowmen to evergreens, a merry stringing of lights to mouthwatering gingerbread men, Christmas tattoos instantly bring on the nostalgic joy so many deny themselves until the allotted month arrives.

Why should the generosity of Santa Claus be felt for only a short period, or the alluringly wrapped present gifted just once a year? What if we all applied the Christmas spirit to every facet of our lives and spread holiday cheer regardless of the seasons?

It may seem odd to dream of Christmas in the middle of summer, but the tattoo wearer begs to differ. He doesn’t need a designated holiday to inspire him to be kind to those in need and likewise show his loved ones how much they mean to him.

There’s a wide array of Christmas tattoos for men, both for the nice and those feeling naughty. For dear old Santa Claus is right – not everyone has been nice. Some have been “naughty” even during the most wonderful time of the year, just like the fictional bad guys that are immortalized in some Christmas tattoo ideas.

For example, this tattoo design shows the mythical abominable snow monster, initially perceived as the villain in the animated TV special Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer in 1964. With the snow monster in the same frame are Rudolph and Yukon Cornelius, a man searching for peppermint mines in the North Pole.