Hîrceagă Cătălin

7A

The Meaning Of Colors In Different Cultures

Blue:
-Blue is considered the safest color choice around the world, since it has many positive
associations. In North America and Europe blue represents trust, security, and authority, and is
considered to be soothing and peaceful. But it can also represent depression, loneliness, and
sadness (hence having “the blues”).
-In some countries, blue symbolizes healing and evil repellence. Blue eye-shaped amulets,
believed to protect against the evil eye, are common sights in Turkey, Greece, Iran, Afghanistan,
and Albania. In Eastern cultures, blue symbolizes immortality, while in Ukraine it denotes good
health. In Hinduism blue is strongly associated with Krishna, who embodies love and divine joy.
Green:
-Green has traditionally been forbidden in Indonesia, whereas in Mexico it’s a national color that
stands for independence. In the Middle East green represents fertility, luck, and wealth, and it’s
considered the traditional color of Islam. In Eastern cultures green symbolizes youth, fertility,
and new life, but it can also mean infidelity. In fact, in China, green hats are taboo for men
because it signals that their wives have committed adultery!
-In Western cultures green represents luck, nature, freshness, spring, environmental awareness,
wealth, inexperience, and jealousy (the “green-eyed monster”). Of course, green is an
emblematic color for Ireland, which earned its nickname “The Emerald Isle” from its lush green
landscapes.
Red:
-Red symbolizes excitement, energy, passion, action, love, and danger in Western cultures. It’s
also associated with communism and revolution in countries like Russia. In Asian cultures red is
a very important color — it symbolizes good luck, joy, prosperity, celebration, happiness, and a
long life. Because it’s such an auspicious color, brides often wear red on their wedding day and
red envelopes containing money are given out during holidays and special occasions.
-In India red is associated with purity, sensuality, and spirituality. On the other hand, some
countries in Africa associate red with death, and in Nigeria it represents aggression and vitality.
It’s considered a lucky charm in Egypt and symbolizes good fortune and courage in Iran.
Yellow:
-In Western cultures, yellow is associated with happiness, cheeriness, optimism, warmth (as the
color of sunlight), joy, and hope, as well as caution and cowardice. In Germany, yellow
represents envy, but in Egypt, it conveys happiness and good fortune.
Orange:
-Orange represents autumn, harvest, warmth, and visibility in Western cultures. In Hinduism
saffron (a soft orange color) is considered auspicious and sacred. In the Netherlands orange is the
color of the Dutch Royal family, while it represents sexuality and fertility in Colombia.
Purple:
-Purple is often associated with royalty, wealth, spirituality, and nobility around the world.
Historically in Japan only the highest ranked Buddhist monks wore purple robes. Purple is also
associated with piety and faith, and in Catholicism, penitence. However, in Brazil and Thailand
purple is the color of mourning. It’s also a color of honor — the Purple Heart is the oldest
military award still given to US military members.
White:
-In Western cultures, white symbolizes purity, elegance, peace, and cleanliness; brides
traditionally wear white dresses at their weddings. But in China, Korea, and some other Asian
countries white represents death, mourning, and bad luck, and is traditionally worn at funerals. In
Peru, white is associated with angels, good health, and time.
Black:
-In many cultures black symbolizes sophistication and
formality, but it also represents death, evil, mourning, magic,
fierceness, illness, bad luck, and mystery. In the Middle East
black can represent both rebirth and mourning. In Africa it
symbolizes age, maturity, and masculinity.