What do Colors Symbolize?

Colors hold significance for people around the world. Not only do colors influence emotion, but
they also hold meaning in religion and various cultures. On this page you will get answers to
questions like, "What does the color red symbolize?" This question is answered differently
depending on where you are located in the world. If you don't see what you are looking for on
this page, please put your questions in the comments section at the bottom of this page.

Western world:
Traffic lights: Red means stop, yellow means caution, and green means go. Yellow signs also
warn drivers of upcoming curves, pedestrian crossings, and animal crossings.

Patriotism:

Most, if not all countries have a flag. The colors of each flag are usually seen as patriotic. Red,
white, and blue symbolizes patriotism in the U.S.A.

Holidays:

Red and green are favorite Christmas colours. Colors of Autumn such as orange, brown, yellow
and red are associated with Thanksgiving with black and orange associated with Halloween.
Pastel colors are used for Easter. Because flowers are a common gift for Mother's Day, colors
such as yellow, pink, and red are used frequently.

Color Symbolism Chart

Red: Excitement, energy, passion, love,

desire, speed, strength, power, heat,
  aggression, danger, fire, blood, war,
violence, all things intense and passionate,
sincerity, happiness (Only in Japan)

  Pink symbolizes love and romance, caring,

tenderness, acceptance and calm.
Beige and ivory symbolize unification.
  Ivory symbolizes quiet and pleasantness.
Beige symbolizes calm and simplicity.
  Yellow signifies joy, happiness, betrayal,
 optimism, idealism, imagination, hope,
sunshine, summer, gold, philosophy,
dishonesty, cowardice, jealousy,
covetousness, deceit, illness, hazard and
friendship.

  Dark Blue: Symbolizes integrity,

knowledge, power, and seriousness.
Blue: Peace, tranquility, cold, calm, stability,
harmony, unity, trust, truth, confidence,
  conservatism, security, cleanliness, order,
loyalty, sky, water, technology, depression,
appetite suppressant.
Turquoise symbolizes calm. Teal
  symbolizes sophistication. Aquamarine
symbolizes water. Lighter turquoise has a
feminine appeal.
Purple: Royalty, nobility, spirituality,
  ceremony, mysterious, transformation,
wisdom, enlightenment, cruelty, honor,
arrogance, mourning, temperance.

  Lavender symbolizes femininity, grace and

elegance.
Orange: Energy, balance, enthusiasm,
  warmth, vibrant, expansive, flamboyant,
demanding of attention.
Green: Nature, environment, healthy, good
  luck, renewal, youth, spring, generosity,
fertility, jealousy, service, inexperience,
envy, misfortune, vigor.
Brown: Earth, stability, hearth, home,
  outdoors, reliability, comfort, endurance,
simplicity, and comfort.
Gray: Security, reliability, intelligence,
  staid, modesty, dignity, maturity, solid,
conservative, practical, old age, sadness,
boring. Silver symbolizes calm.
    White: Reverence, purity, birth, simplicity,
cleanliness, peace, humility, precision,
innocence, youth, winter, snow, good,
 sterility, marriage (Western cultures), death
(Eastern cultures), cold, clinical.
Black: Power, sexuality, sophistication,
formality, elegance, wealth, mystery, fear,
  evil, unhappiness, depth, style, sadness,
remorse, anger, anonymity, underground,
good technical color, mourning, death
(Western cultures), austerity, detachment.

Eastern World:
Marriage: White and pink
are favorite just as in the
western world.
Green: Eternity, family,
harmony, health, peace,
posterity
Happiness: Red
Helpful: Gray
Wealth: Blue, gold and
purple
White: Children, helpful
people, marriage,
mourning, peace, purity,
travel
Gold: Strength, wealth
Evil or sadness- Just like in
the western world- black.

Emotions:

Blue is seen as conservative. Red is power and aggression. Brighter colors such as yellow and
orange represent warmth not only with emotions but also with temperature. Cool colors are blue,
green, black or any color with a dark shade. When someone is feeling down or depressed, it is
said they are feeling "blue." When someone is angry they "see red." When someone is seen to be
afraid or "chicken" they are called "yellow."

Ecology:

Obviously green is the major color symbolizing ecology. The new phrase for people or
companies who find ways to cut back on electricity, fuel, or things that damage the environment
is "going green."
 

Phrases:

When something is seen as opposite, extreme, or a firm position, it is said to be "black or white."
When something is not clear or not in a firm position, it is said to be a "gray area." The blues
describe a form of music.

Religion:

Colours are also used in religious ceremonies or represent aspects of religion. Native Americans
include colors in religious ceremonies. The Navajo Nation considers four colors to be important:
Turquoise, white, yellow, and black. These colors represent four sacred mountains. The Apache
Nation also considers four colors to be important: Green, white, yellow and black. These are
sacred colors of the white mountain and are also used in government. The Iowa Nation also
considers four colors to be sacred: Black, yellow, red and white. They represent direction, their
flag, and what they consider to be four races of man. [1]

In Tibetan Buddhism, blue is the color of Vairochana, a celestial Buddha, whose image is the
immensity of sky blue. [2] Buddhist monks wear orange (specifically the color saffron) robes
primarily due to tradition. That was the least expensive color dye at the time and that is what
they continued to wear. The robes themselves symbolize "simplicity and detachment of
materialism." [3]

Green is the traditional color of Islam. The Islamic flag is green. Green is also mentioned in the
Quran as the color of garments, cushions and carpets in paradise. [4]

In Hinduism, saffron is their most sacred color. Saffron represents fire that burns our impurities.
Yellow represents knowledge and learning. The color green of the Maharashtra represents life
and happiness. The color blue is like infinity like the vastness of the oceans and sky. [5]

In Christianity, the color red symbolizes the blood of Jesus Christ and of sacrifice. White
represents the body of Christ. Black represents sin in Catholic liturgy. Gray is the color of ash
and this represents repentance in Catholicism. Purple is the liturgical color for the seasons of
Advent and Lent. Heaven is described as having a lot of gold in buildings and streets. White and
silver are used in liturgy during Christmas and Easter. [6]
 

The Bible says that many in the Middle East and Rome valued colored gems and jewelry. Red
and white coral was used for beads and ornaments. Red rubies and light blue turquoise were
given as gifts. (Ezekiel 27:16)

Use in Medicine and Therapy:

Colors are sometimes used in therapy (Also called Chromotherapy). Colors have a huge effect on
people who have brain disorders or who are emotionally troubled. The color blue has a calming
effect on many people and lowers respiration and blood pressure. Red has the opposite effect.
Some therapists use green to sooth and relax emotionally disturbed people who suffer from
anxiety or depression. Some claim that the color violet is good for migraines and in "cases of
cellulitis caused by a poor elimination, heaviness or sluggishness after eating, disorders of the
spleen, bladder and kidney." [7] Yellow helps energize people and relieves depression.

Color in World Culture

Color means many different things to different people and cultures. We all have our own favorite
colors. People like different colors like they like different foods. Color also represents feelings,
people, countries, cultures, and color symbolism. In the western world, the color red is seen
frequently of symbolizing anger or aggression. Some car insurance companies charge more for
red cars because some of the owners of red cars are more aggressive or take more risks.

Books about Color

Black: The History of a Color - Black-- favorite color of priests and penitents, artists and
ascetics, fashion designers and fascists- has always stood for powerfully opposed ideas: authority
and humility, sin and holiness, rebellion and conformity, wealth and poverty, good and bad. In
this illustrated book, the acclaimed author of "Blue" now tells the fascinating social history
of the color black in Europe.

Color and Meaning: Art, Science, and Symbolism - Does color have an effect on our
feelings? The phenomenon of color is examined in new ways in John Gage's latest book. His
study is informed by the conviction that color is a contingent, historical occurrence whose
meaning, like language, lies in the particular contexts in which it is experienced and interpreted.

 
Veiled Brightness: A History of Ancient Maya Color - Veiled Brightness reconstructs what
color meant to the ancient Maya, a set of linked peoples and societies who flourished in and
around the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico and Central America. By using insights from
archaeology, linguistics, art history, and conservation, the book charts over two millennium of
color use in a region celebrated for its aesthetic refinement and high degree of craftsmanship.

Pantone Guide to Communicating with Color - This authoritative guide presents hundreds of
color combinations and color principles needed to create effective designs. Every lesson is
demonstrated by example, enabling designers of all specialties and levels of experience to make
the best color choices for every type of design.