Colors influence people’s lives in many ways. From reminding us of our favorite customs to affecting our mood, colors have had a powerful impact on our ideas, feelings, and histories. The English language uses expressions like “ticked pink,” “saw red,” “green with envy,” and “feeling the blues” to describe different emotions. Different cultures have unique ways of categorizing colors, such as the Bassa people of Liberia, who only have two color terms. Colors are often used to signify differences in cultural identity and to emphasize the commonalities among different cultures. They can be seen in religious practices, national flags, traditional dress, and more, and have the power to bridge cultures, create a sense of unity, and help build connections between people of various backgrounds.
Cultural Factors That Affect Color
Funerals are a great example of how culture can influence color. In Japan and China, white is used for funerals, unlike black, which symbolizes sadness in the West. Did you know wearing white to joyful events like weddings wasn’t always customary? Queen Victoria first wore a white dress to her wedding, and this trend was only followed by the wealthy as white garments were challenging to keep clean. But eventually, it became popular and spread across various cultures. Red is commonly used in weddings and is a color that symbolizes wealth in most of Asia. In India, brides typically wear only red on their special day.
Many Middle Eastern nations view the color blue as protective, using it to ward off evil spirits, as evidenced by its familiar presence on front doors. Similarly, porch swings in the Southeast have been painted blue to repel ghosts. In France during the eleventh century, yellow was the color of choice for marking the residences of thieves, traitors, and criminals–a practice rooted in the medieval belief that sunlight could serve as a disinfectant.
Religiously, color carries with it a variety of symbolic meanings. Islamic tradition embraces the color green, although its usage in early pagan rituals led to its prohibition in Christianity until Pope Innocent III allowed it again. For Judaism, sky blue and white signify heaven and earth, respectively. In China, blue is associated with immortality, and in Hinduism, it is linked to Krishna.
Symbolism of Colors
Many cultural groups across the world are affected by color psychology. This is because different colors evoke different emotions, attitudes, and both excellent and negative implications. For example, in one culture, a hue can stand for joy and warmth; in another, it might be connected to betrayal and resentment. Based on the recognized color psychology throughout cultures, the following lists numerous colors and their symbolic meanings.
Blue
Blue is a bright hue representing power, security, and reliability in Europe and North America. This is why it is the primary corporate color of many American banks. Its tranquil and calming effects are universally appreciated but can also be associated with grief, isolation, and despair. In some cultures, blue is seen as a protection from evil and synonymous with healing. For instance, many people in Albania, Afghanistan, Iran, Greece, and Turkey believe that blue amulets fashioned like eyes bring good luck and ward off the evil eye.
Red
Red is often associated with anger, passion, and impulsiveness due to its cultural and literary ties to blood, violence, power, and romance. Yet, some cultures have different interpretations of this color – in Chinese culture, it is seen as lucky, with red envelopes filled with money being given at Chinese New Year and Chinese brides traditionally dressing in crimson to signify fortune. In the West, red is the traditional color of St. Valentine and is therefore linked to love and amorousness.
Yellow
Yellow, the hue of sunlight, is often seen as comforting and joyful by many. Yet, in some cultures, it has a negative connotation; in China, the phrase “yellow book” or “yellow image” is used to describe pornography. In Germany, yellow is linked to jealousy, while in France, it is associated with betrayal, contradiction, and weakness. This sentiment had existed since the tenth century when criminals’ and traitors’ doors were painted yellow. In Africa, yellow has a much more positive connotation, often used to represent success, value, and wealth. The Egyptians also used it to symbolize riches and linked it to grief and death. Similarly, in some Latin American cultures, yellow signifies sadness and sorrow.
Orange
In Southeast Asia, orange is viewed as holy and spiritual, with monks wearing saffron robes to signify their commitment to religion. Orange is a bright color used in warning and traffic signs and is closely associated with Halloween and the Fall season in Western culture. Generally, orange is perceived as a beneficial color because it is a pleasing, cheerful shade that balances the intensity of red. With its good visibility in dim light, orange is the go-to color for buoys, life jackets, and life rafts and is often chosen in the U.S. for “Detour” signs and highway workers’ jackets to increase visibility.
Green
Green evokes various cultural meanings in the West: spring, freshness, nature, prosperity, environmental awareness, avarice, luck, and military ties. Ireland is famously known as “The Emerald Isle” due to its verdant landscape. Mexico’s green-colored flag is a reminder of their independence from Spain. Conversely, it is forbidden in Indonesia and is viewed as a color of death in many forest-rich nations. In the Middle East, green is associated with Islam, representing fortune, fertility, and wealth.
Purple
Purple is a hue with a complex and often ominous symbolism in the past. In many societies, it suggests wealth, enchantment, and secrecy, whereas in Italy, Brazil, and other organizations, it is seen as a sign of sadness and bad luck. In the past few decades, it has also symbolized bisexuality and the (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) LGBTQ+ community. It is frequently related to magic, aristocracy, mystery, and religious faith in Europe and the U.S. Historically, manufacturing purple fabric was costly – it took 9,000 small mollusks to generate just one gram of Tyrian purple. Even with the advances of modern dyeing techniques, purple still represents wealth today.
White
In Western countries, it is customary for brides to wear white as it symbolizes cleanliness, purity, tranquility, and elegance. In contrast, China, Korea, and other Asian nations typically associate the hue with funerals, death, grief, and ill luck. Meanwhile, Peru views the shade as indicative of time, health, and angels.
Black
Most research on color psychology across cultures relates black to formality and refinement. But black is also linked to obscurity, misfortune (the black cat), disease, ferocity, sorcery, melancholy, evil, and death. In Africa, the color black denotes masculinity, wisdom, and experience. In the Middle East, the hue indicates both rebirth and sadness.
A Color’s Connotation Can Change
The meaning of a color can change with societal and cultural changes. For example, green was historically seen as an unlucky color. It was even called “poisoned green” in the fashion industry due to the arsenic-based pigment that caused several deaths. The color returned to the market. 2017 Pantone chose “Greenery” as the year’s official color. Could this symbolize the cultural shift we are experiencing towards a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle? When choosing colors, it is essential to consider your target audience, as they have a more significant impact on how people see a business than any other branding element.
Business Colors
According to color studies, many successful sales can be attributed to a product’s color. Colors have an impact on how items appeal to consumers. When a Japanese manufacturer debuted black scooters in India, it learned the hard way. Black scooters, seen as contemporary and sleek in Japan, were unfamiliar in India since they did not comprehend that they connected black with death in that country. In colorcom.com, many facts based on various research demonstrate the benefits of color psychology on international enterprises. According to the report, marketing and color are related for the reasons listed below:
- Because of the paint, brand awareness improved by 80%.
- Colors improve memory.
- Compared to black-and-white commercials, they engage and boost involvement from the target audiences.
- Colors help people read, comprehend, and understand advertisements.
- They can pique customers’ interest instantly and keep it for longer.
Due to the connotations connected with various hues, perceptive advertising firms and clients know that employing the right colors may assist their products in drawing new customers in international markets and maintaining their attention.
Embracing the Spectrum: The Enduring Impact of Colors
The significance of colors transcends linguistic boundaries and serves as a universal form of communication. Nevertheless, its meaning may be drastically different depending on one’s location. For example, while white is often linked with death in Eastern cultures, it is considered a pure and innocent color in the West. Acknowledging these variations in color symbolism can help us communicate more effectively with different communities and better understand cultural diversity. This awareness should also be extended to the spiritual importance of colors, which can vary with beliefs. Color perceptions as protective or destructive, good or bad, and their connection with crucial life events, such as births, weddings, and funerals, all form part of the spiritual meaning of colors. Regardless of their diverse implications, colors are integral to how we view and comprehend the world and can be used for social interaction and cultural comprehension.