Cultural Color Meanings of Red

Western:

energy, excitement, action

danger

love, passion

a warning to stop

anger

Christmas combined with green

Valentine's Day

Eastern:
prosperity
good fortune
worn by brides
symbol of joy when combined with white

China:

the color of good luck and celebration

vitality, happiness, long life

used as a wedding color

used in many ceremonies from funerals to weddings

used for festive occasions

traditionally worn on Chinese New Year to bring luck and prosperity

color of purity, fertility, love, beauty

wealth, opulence and power

used in wedding ceremonies

a sign of a married woman

also color of fear and fire

color for Sunday

life

anger and danger

success, triumph
South Africa:

color of mourning
Nigeria:

usually reserved for ceremonies

worn by chiefs
Russia:

associated with the Bolsheviks and Communism

means beautiful in Russian language

often used in marriage ceremonies

represents the land and earth

ceremonial color
Hebrew:

sacrifice, sin
Christian:

sacrifice, passion, love

Cultural Color Meanings of Pink

caring and nurturing

love and romance

feminine

Eastern:
feminine

Europe:

feminine color

baby girls
Belgium:

pink was traditionally used for baby boys - now it is more common for
it to be used for baby girls

Japan:
well-liked by both males and females

Thailand:
color for Tuesday

Korea:
trust

Cultural Color Meanings of Orange

affordable or inexpensive items

Halloween, combined with black

happiness

spirituality
Thailand:

color for Thursday

religious color for Protestants

appears on the Irish flag along with white for peace and green for
Catholics
Netherlands:

color of the Dutch Royal Family

Saffron, a soft orange color, is considered an auspicious and sacred

Cultural Color Meanings of Yellow

happiness, joy

hope

cowardice

caution, warning of hazards and hazardous substances

sacred

imperial
China:

sacred

imperial, royalty

honor

masculine color
India:

sacred and auspicious

the Symbol of a Merchant

considered auspicious as the bright yellow flower "cassia fistula" is a

represents Buddhism.

yellow is considered the royal color, the color of Monday which is the
King's birthday
Egypt:

color of mourning
Burma:

color of mourning

Israel:

used to label Jews in the Middle Ages

Middle East:
happiness
prosperity

Japan:
courage
beauty and refinement
aristocracy
cheerfulness

Europe:

happiness, joy

cowardice, weakness

hazard warning
France:

jealousy
Greece:

sadness
Africa:

Usually reserved for those of high rank

Buddhism:
wisdom
Jewish:
yellow star badges of the Middle Ages and post war Germany and
Poland

Cultural Color Meanings of Green

lucky color in most western cultures

spring, new birth, regeneration

nature and environmental awareness

color for 'go' at traffic lights

Saint Patrick's Day

Christmas combined with red

jealousy

greed

Eastern:
new life, regeneration and hope
fertility

China:

new life, regeneration and hope

fertility

disgrace - giving a Chinese man a green hat indicates his wife is

exorcism

studies show it is generally not good for packaging

Thailand:

color for Wednesday

eternal life

youthfulness

freshness
Indonesia:

a forbidden color
Ireland:

religious color for Irish Catholics

color symbol of Ireland - the Emerald Isle

not good for packaging

corruption and the drug culture

hope

spring
Middle East:

color of Islam

strength

fertility

luck
Saudi Arabia:

wealth and prestige

death
USA:

money
jealousy

Cultural Color Meanings of Blue

Western:
trust and authority
conservative,
corporate
peace and calm
depression,
sadness
"something blue" bridal tradition
masculine color
baby boys

Eastern:

immortality

China:
immortality
associated with pornography and 'blue films'
feminine color

India:

Lord Krishna

national sports color

everyday life

Korea:
color of mourning

Thailand:
color for Friday

Belgium:
light blue was traditionally the color for baby girls - now it is more
common to use it for baby boys

Cherokees:

defeat, trouble
Mexico:

mourning

trust

serenity
Iran:

color of mourning
heaven and spirituality
immortality

Israel:

Coat of Arms
Egypt:

virtue

protection - to ward off evil

Middle East:
protection

Colombia:
associated with soap

US Politics:
liberalism

UK & European Politics:

conservatism
Religious Beliefs in Many Cultures:

Christianity: Christ's color

Judaism: holiness

Hinduism: the color of Krishna

Catholicism: color of Mary's robe

Cultural Color Meanings of Purple

Western:
Royalty
spirituality
wealth and fame
high ranking positions of authority
Military Honor (Purple Heart)

Eastern:

wealth

India:
sorrow
comforting

Japan:
privilege
wealth

Thailand:

color of mourning for widows

color for Saturday

death and mourning

Royalty
Catholicism:

mourning

death, crucifixion

Cultural Color Meanings of White

brides and weddings

angels
hospitals, doctors
peace - the white dove
purity and cleanliness

Eastern:

death, mourning and funerals

sadness
China:

death and mourning

virginity and purity

humility

age

misfortune
India:

unhappiness

symbol of sorrow in death of family member

traditionally the only color a widow is allowed to wear

funerals

peace and purity

White carnation symbolizes death

white elephants are considered auspicious,

white symbolizes purity in Buddhism

purity, innocence,

morality,

birth and death

purity

mourning

Cultural Color Meanings of Black

power, control, intimidation

funerals, death, mourning

rebellion

Eastern:
wealth, health and prosperity

China:

color for young boys

evil, negativity, darkness

lack of appeal

anger and apathy

used to ward off evil

color of mystery and the night

may be associated with feminine energy - either evil and a threat or

unhappiness,

bad luck, evil

unhappiness,

bad luck, evil

evil

mystery
Africa:

Age and wisdom

Australian Aborigines:
ceremonial color
commonly used in their artworks

Cultural Color Meanings of Brown

down-to-earth, practical

comfortable

stable, dependable,

wholesome
China:

In Chinese Horoscopes brown is the color for earth

Color of mourning
Nicaragua:

Sign of disapproval