Traditional Color Meanings

Red is the most powerful and also contradictory of the colors. On the one hand, color context stands for love, passion, desire, and health. On the other hand, it conveys danger, anger, violence, and fear.

Above all, red is hard to ignore, and that's why red traffic lights and stop signs utilize red for warning and getting people's attention fast. For similar reasons, people who wear red tend to stand out from the crowd. Roughly 64% of the cones in the human eye are sensitive to red light wavelengths, which is why the color is so noticeable.^[2]

In many cultures, red symbolizes vital energy, fertility, and good health. For example, Chinese brides wear red gowns and walk on red carpets. In Greece, Albania, and Armenia, too, brides still wear red veils.^[3]

The binary nature of orange makes it as energetic and powerful as red and as happy and friendly as yellow. In general, people associate orange with many positive things in life.

Like red, orange is intensely visible and used for spacesuits and traffic cones to draw attention and give a warning. Some cultures attribute orange to wealth, such as the Netherlands, which uses orange as a nod to the Dutch Royal Family^.[4]

In certain Asian religious traditions, such as Buddhism, monks and spiritual leaders don orange-colored robes due to the historical availability of this dye. The color orange is also associated with the highest state of enlightenment in the beliefs of Buddhists.^[5]

Yellow is a bright and versatile color with a rich history and diverse meanings. In ancient religions, yellow was considered sacred, much like gold, symbolizing eternity and indestructibility. Many cultures depicted their sun gods in yellow, reflecting the eternal nature of the sun. In Buddhism, yellow represents humility, emphasizing its spiritual significance.

However, yellow is not always seen as positive. "Yellow-bellied" describes cowardice, and "yellow journalism" refers to exaggerated, sensationalist reporting. Despite these negative meanings, yellow remains a color associated with happiness and optimism, closely linked to sunlight and summer. While yellow can increase metabolism, too much exposure may cause eye fatigue.^[6]

Green, being the color of chlorophyll, a pigment in plants, is linked to nature. As a result, the color green is used to represent environmental activism. Products and actions that protect the environment are often referred to as "green." 

In Ancient Egypt, the color green symbolized rebirth and regeneration. In Islam, green is considered sacred due to its association with the Prophet Muhammad. However, green also carries negative connotations. In medieval art and literature, the devil was depicted in green because it was seen as an attractive color that lured animals. Furthermore, a jealous person is sometimes referred to as being "green with envy."^[7]

The color also stands for growth, youth, and hope in many cultures due to its associations with the spring season and the rebirth of the earth's fertility.^[8]

In the past, only royalty and very important people wore blue. In 431 AD, the Catholic Church depicted the Virgin Mary wearing a blue robe, and then it became more common among all people. In Chinese culture, blue signifies immortality and wisdom and is often worn to ward off evil spirits. Similarly, in India, blue carries deep spiritual significance.^[9]

After World War II, blue started being thought of as a color for boys, because clothing makers wanted to sell more clothes by making different designs for boys and girls. It is important to acknowledge that gender norms are a product of society and evolve.

Blue makes people feel confident and in control without making others feel uncomfortable. It brings about feelings of peace, trust, and safety. Light blue helps with focus, while darker blues make thinking easier.

But it can also make people feel sad, which is why we say "feeling blue." The music style called the blues is about feeling sad. Blue can also make people feel less hungry because there aren't many blue foods and they can sometimes be unsafe to eat.

Rarely seen in nature, purple is often associated with the supernatural, spirituality, and mystery. It's frequently described as creative and inspiring, which explains the expression "purple prose"—ornate, imaginative writing that draws attention to itself.

Historically, purple has been a symbol of royalty and luxury. This connection dates back to ancient monarchies when purple dye was difficult and costly to produce. Only the wealthy and powerful could afford it. Rulers wore purple robes and used purple ink for their mandates. Some Roman emperors even penalized their citizens with death for wearing purple garments. The use of purple among royalty decreased after the Byzantine Empire fell in the 15th century.^[10]

In the mid-18th century, pink was a fashionable color among male and female aristocrats, symbolizing class and luxury.  By the mid-20th century, men began wearing darker colors as a reflection of their World War II service, and pink became associated with femininity as part of a postwar effort to reinforce traditional homemaker roles for women. In the 1980s, the advent of ultrasound technology led to pink being commonly associated with baby girls. However, this trend has softened in recent decades, and pink has become more gender-neutral in Western culture.

Today, pink also represents awareness and activism for causes like breast cancer, women's rights, and the LGBTQ community. It symbolizes love, nurture, and compassion, evoking feelings of comfort, warmth, and hope. The phrase “in the pink” signifies good health, while expressions like “everything is rosy” and “tickled pink” denote success and happiness.^[11]

Grey is halfway between black and white, and it is the universal symbol of neutrality, objectivity, and detachment. Representing impartial judgment is often associated with the judicial system, fairness, and truth. Lady Justice, or Iustitia, is typically depicted wearing a light grey robe, holding scales and a sword, symbolizing balance and equilibrium.

Grey also evokes thoughts of grey matter in our brains and the grey hair of wise old men, like Gandalf the Grey. This color symbolizes knowledge, intelligence, experience, maturity, and wisdom. Its unemotional nature further reinforces this association. As an achromatic color, grey lacks the vivid energy and emotional charge of chromatic colors, making it distant and formal, closely linked to clear thoughts and logical reasoning.^[12]

In Chinese, the word for grey ("hui") has several meanings, including ash, dust, depressed, and disappointed, aligning closely with Western symbolic meanings of the color.

Grey is also the color of steel, concrete, and many modern industrial inventions, making it a high-tech color associated with technology, advancement, and modernity. Its tones, especially those close to silver, symbolize the future and progress.

Black is associated with positive qualities like authority, elegance, power, and sophistication. It's popular for formal events and luxury brands like Chanel. It's also used by figures such as priests and judges to convey power and prestige.

Cultural perceptions of black vary. In many Western traditions, black is associated with death, sadness, evil, and mourning. This is evident in expressions like "Black Monday," "Black Plague," "black magic," and "black market." However, in China, white is the color of death.

The use of black in language can reflect racial attitudes and biases, with terms like "blacklist" and "black sheep" often carrying negative connotations, highlighting issues of racism and colorism.

Studies show that people tend to associate blackness with negativity, a phenomenon known as the "bad is black" heuristic. This bias can influence attitudes and behaviors, contributing to colorism, which has been linked to psychosocial, health, and socioeconomic disadvantages.^[13]

In Western cultures, white is often associated with weddings, hospitals, and angels, symbolizing purity, cleanliness, and peace. Brides traditionally wear white to convey innocence, a practice popularized by Queen Victoria's white lace gown in 1840. Before the 19th century, brides simply wore their best dress, regardless of color.

In Eastern cultures, white symbolizes death and mourning. It is used in funerals and mourning rituals, contrasting with the Western preference for black. In Hinduism and Buddhism, white represents knowledge, enlightenment, and purity of mind.

White can create a sense of space and brightness, making rooms appear larger and more open. However, it can also seem cold, bland, and sterile, which is why hospitals often use white to convey cleanliness and sterility.

While some find this calming and refreshing, others perceive it as stark and uninviting. 

Brown is often seen as grounded, rugged, and solid, much like the earth. It's frequently used in marketing and branding to inspire confidence, support, and comfort in users, with examples including Hershey's, Nescafé, M&M's, and Gloria Jean's Coffee.

Despite its positive associations, brown can also evoke negative connotations, such as outdatedness, poverty, plainness, and isolation. Studies have shown that brown is one of the least favorite colors across all genders. Because it symbolizes the earth, brown is often linked to nature, autumn, melancholy, and even death.

The symbolism of brown can be highly individual. Some may find brown warm and comforting due to personal associations, while others might view it as lonely, drab, or sad. Its connection to the earth can evoke feelings of stability and reliability, but it can also be perceived as dull or uninviting.^[14]

Beige is a mix of warm brown and cool white, creating a color that some find calming, elegant, and flexible, while others see it as boring and conservative. Different shades of beige, such as ivory, taupe, pearl, off-white, and opaline, are perfect for modern and luxury items, home decorations, and interior designs.

Its neutrality allows it to pair well with richer colors like deep blue or burgundy, introducing contrast and highlighting key elements without sacrificing the overall calm and harmonious feel. 

Moreover, beige is associated with nature and natural materials, giving a sense of comfort and warmth. In the workplace, beige can create a professional and welcoming atmosphere, promoting focus and productivity.^[15]