Details on how colors like black, white, yellow, green, orange, blue, red, and purple are perceived in different cultures and time periods. The meanings of colors are influenced by culture and context rather than having universal emotions.
" ‘Cooler’ colours can have a calming influence on people, which is why hospitals and prison walls are often painted in a soft greenish colour"
Research shows that ninety-eight languages have words for the same eleven basic colours; however, ( the meaning a colour may have can be very different. ) There are conflicting theories on whether the cultural meanings of colours can be categorised. Meanings can change over time and depend on the context. Black may be the colour of mourning in many countries, though a black book cover or a black poster is not always associated with death. Another example is that brides in China traditionally wear red, but many brides have started to wear white in recent decades. The cultural meaning of colours is not set but always changing. The next few pages list some of the meanings of colours in different cultures.
"Yellow is the most visible colour from a distance"
( Yellow is the most visible colour from a distance, so it is often used for objects that need high visibility, such as ambulances, road maintenance equipment, and taxis. )In East Asia, yellow is considered sacred and imperial. In China it is the colour for royalty, and during the Qing Dynasty, only members of the imperial household were permitted to wear yellow. In China it is still seen as the colour of happiness, glory, wisdom, harmony, and culture. Yellow is used to symbolise gold as one of the colours of the Catholic church and the Vatican. Yellow in Italian is giallo and a nickname for crime stories. The demonstrations in the Philippines in 1986 were also known as the yellow revolution.
"Green is the colour of nature in many cultures."
( Green is the colour of nature in many cultures. ) Early rituals centred on the hope of a good harvest with green vegetables. Green is the traditional colour of Islam, the colour of the prophet Muhammed, which is why many flags in the Islamic world use the colour green. Since the 1980s, green has become the colour of environmental parties and organisations. Green parties in Europe have programmes based on ecology and environment. The word greenwashing is used to describe the advertising of companies that use positive environmental practices to cover up environmentally unfriendly activities. ( A ‘green room’ is used in television and theatre to quiet nervous performers. )
"Blue is tested as the colour that is best liked by all cultures"
( Blue is tested as the colour that is best liked by all cultures ) , which is how it became the colour for international business. The United Nations chose blue as a colour in 1946, but the colour has no special significance. Bluewashing is a term for companies that join the United Nations ‘Global Impact Initiative’ only for PR reasons. ‘Blue collar worker’ refers to the shirts worn by people working manual labour jobs. The Tuareg of North Africa wear blue turbans, dyed with indigo. Azure blue is the national colour of Italy, the national soccer team is called the Azzurri. Several languages, like Japanese, Thai, Korean, and Lakota Sioux, use the same word to describe blue and green.
" Purple was the the most expensive dye in Roman times"
( Purple was the the most expensive dye in Roman times ), and was worn by Roman magistrates, Byzantine emperors, and the rulers of the Holy Roman Empire. During the reign of Elizabeth I, only royalty was allowed to wear purple in England. Roman Catholic bishops still wear purple as a colour of royalty. In Japan, the colour is traditionally associated with the emperor and aristocracy. In Thailand, widows in mourning wear purple. In Western politics the colour purple is neutral, and used for a coalition between a left-wing and a right-wing party. The Women’s Suffrage movement used purple, and the colour was adopted in the 1970s by the women’s liberation movement. Purple and pink are both associated with the LGBT community.