MEANING OF COLOR

RED

“Painters use red like spice”

- Derek Jarman

ASSOCIATIONS

PassionAngerViolenceBloodDevilDangerLoveImportanceSeductionPoison

PHYSICAL

EFFECTS

Increases enthusiasmStimulates energyCan increase blood pressure, heartbeat and pulseEncourages action and confidenceCan make you feel hungry

AROUND THE GLOBE

China: Good luck and fortune. Celebration of New Year.Jamaica: Someone who’s drunk is ‘red’.England: Phone booths and double decker buses are national icons.India: Red mark on the forehead is for good luck.South Asia: Brides wear red.Russia: Communist Revolution.

INTERESTING FACTS

The longest wavelength of light is red.

Bees can’t see the color red. Red flowers are usually pollinated by birds, butterflies, bats and wind.

You will find red color used for packaging in food items or in fast food chains, because of its ability to make you feel hungry.

Red is a color that means ‘severe’ in the color-coded system established by presidential order to alert law enforcement agencies about a terrorist threat in the U.S.

ASSOCIATED BRANDS

YELLOW

“What a horrible thing yellow is”

-Edgar Degas

ASSOCIATIONS

HappinessIntellectCautionCowardiceYouthEnergy

PHYSICAL

EFFECTS

Stimulates mental processesStimulates the nervous systemActivates memoryEncourages communication

AROUND THE GLOBE

USA: Taxis and School Buses are yellow.France: Symbolizes jealousyGreece: Symbolizes sadness.India: Color of the Vaisya cast (farmers). Worn to celebrate the Spring Festival. (Basant)Christianity: Representative of “Greed”

INTERESTING FACTS

The happiest color of the spectrum.

A yellow flag is used to indicate a penalty in football.

Yellow is a color that means ‘elevated’ in the color-coded system established by presidential order to alert law enforcement agencies about a terrorist threat in the U.S.

ASSOCIATED BRANDS

BLUE

“If you see a tree as blue, then make it

blue.”-Paul Gauguin

ASSOCIATIONS

CalmPeaceTranquilitySadnessKnowledgeTrustworthyDependableCold/Uncaring

PHYSICAL

EFFECTSCalms and sedatesCools you downMakes you sleepy

AROUND THE GLOBE

Iran: Blue, blue-green and green are sacred and represent heaven.Greece: Ward off evilIndia: Paintings of Krishna often depict him having blue skin.

Islam: Many blue mosques throughout the world.Christianity: Catholic religion associates blue with Virgin Mary.

INTERESTING FACTS

Favored color choice of toothpastes and tooth brushes.

Owls are the only birds that can see blue.

Mosquitos are attracted to blue, twice as much as to any other color.

The blue ribbon is widely recognized as a symbol of child abuse awareness.

ASSOCIATED BRANDS

ORANGE

“Orange is red brought nearer to humanity by

yellow.”-Wassily Kandinsky

ASSOCIATIONS

CreativityInvigorationUniqueEnergyAutumnChangeHealthVitality

PHYSICAL

EFFECTS

Stimulates activityStimulates appetiteEncourages socialization

AROUND THE GLOBE

Netherlands: National color.China and Japan: Symbolizes happiness and love.

Christianity: Representative of “Gluttony”.

ASSOCIATED BRANDS

GREEN

“Green is the prime color of the world, and that

from which its loveliness arises.”

-Pedro Calderon de la Barca

ASSOCIATIONS

FertilityHealingSuccessGrowthEcologyNaturePeaceEnvyAffluence

PHYSICAL

EFFECTS

SoothesRelaxes mentally, as well as physicallyHelps alleviate depression, nervousness and anxietyOffers a sense of renewal and harmony

AROUND THE GLOBE

Used around the globe to represent safety and ecology.Ireland: Emblematic color, represents St. Patricks.Japan: Represented as the color of eternal life.Pakistan and Saudi Arabia: The flags of these two countries are the only ones in a single color.

Islam: Green represents the dome of The Prophet (SAW)’s mosque.

INTERESTING FACTS

Green was the favorite color of George Washington, the first president of United States.

Green is the color used in night vision goggles because the human eye is most sensitive to and is able to discern most shades of green.

ASSOCIATED BRANDS

PURPLE

“I think it pisses off God if you walk by the color

purple in a field somewhere and don’t

notice it.”-Alice Walker

ASSOCIATIONS

RoyaltyWisdomSpiritualityImaginationLuxuryMysticElegance

PHYSICAL

EFFECTS

UpliftsCalms the mind and nervesOffers a sense of spiritualityEncourages creativity

AROUND THE GLOBE

Thailand: Worn by widows mourning their husband’s death.Japan: Signifies wealth and position.Iran: Purple is a color of what is to come. A sun or moon that looks purple during an eclipse is considered bad luck for the year to come.

Christianity: Purple represents “Pride”

INTERESTING FACTS

Purple was the color of the first dye made by man.

Purple represents the planet Jupiter.

Leonardo Da Vinci believed that the power of meditation increases ten times when done in a purple light.

Purple is the color of the highest valued poker chip = 5,000$

ASSOCIATED BRANDS

BLACK

“People can have a car painted in any color –

so long as its black.”-Henry Ford

ASSOCIATIONS

PowerEleganceFormalityDeathMysteryMourningFearSecrecy

PHYSICAL

EFFECTS

Makes one feel undistinguishedProvides a feel of emptinessProvides a sense of mystery

AROUND THE GLOBE

West: Color of mourning.England: Taxi cabs are black.Mexico, Portugal, Spain, Greece and Italy: Widows wear black for the rest of their lives. Other family members also wear black for an extended period of time.

Christianity: Priests and nuns attire are black.

INTERESTING FACTS

A black cat crossing one’s path is considered bad luck in many cultures, except in England, where spotting a black cat is considered good luck.

Black implies weight. People will think that a black box weighs more than a white one.

Musicians in an orchestra concert wear black so as not to draw attention away from the stage performers.

Black is regarded as sophisticated in fashion that the term, “the new black” is often used to describe and give merit to a color trend.

ASSOCIATED BRANDS

WHITE

“God paints in many colors, but He never

paints so gorgeously, as when He paints in

white.”-G.K Chesterton

ASSOCIATIONS

PerfectionPurityCleanVirtueHealthWinterWedding

PHYSICAL

EFFECTS

Aids mental clarityEncourages us to clear clutter and obstaclesEvokes purification of thoughts or actionsEnables fresh beginnings

AROUND THE GLOBE

&INTERESTIN

G FACTS

Worn by brides in the western world and in Japan.

Color of mourning in Japan and some parts of Africa.

A white flag is universally recognized as a symbol of truce.

The ancient Greeks used to wear white to bed to ensure pleasant dreams.