by Sarah Huth

Created on: June 19, 2008

Color is something that is all around us, yet most people never think twice about the direct effect it has on how they perceive things. Once you really start to pay attention, however, it is clear that certain colors mean different things depending on your location and culture. For example, in the Western world, death is usually associated with the color black, while it is white that is the color of death in the East. White, however, means something completely different in the West, and is a symbol of purity that is traditionally worn at weddings. As you can see, this could be very confusing, and those not familiar with the symbolism of a color in an unfamiliar culture could perceive it as meaning something totally different. Along with being extremely symbolic, color is also believed to have different effects on mood and behavior. The study of the effect of color on behavior is known as "color psychology", and while it is not completely proven to be accurate, many people truly believe that color can greatly influence the way someone acts and feels. Even if there is no truth in this, many of the color psychology beliefs have influenced sayings that have become apart of popular culture. Being "green with envy" or "feeling blue" are just a few examples of colors being used to represent emotions or mindsets.

In the Western part of the world alone, colors have taken on so many different symbolic meanings. Here are just a few of the meanings that color has been associated with, in the United States particularly.

GREY
Elegance, wisdom, boredom, and mourning.

WHITE
Purity, peace, innocence, and simplicity.

BLACK
Evil, sophistication, mystery, and death.

RED
Passion, love, danger, and anger.

BLUE
Loyalty, depression, men, and tranquility.

GREEN
Nature, luck, money, and envy.

YELLOW
Joy, optimism, cowardice, and hazards.

PURPLE
Sensuality, spirituality, creativity, and royalty.

ORANGE
Warning, playfulness, enthusiasm, and balance.

BROWN
Calm, tradition, dullness, and simplicity.

PINK
Femininity, health, marriage, and gratitude.

While these colors may be symbolic of these certain emotions or traits in the Western world, many different cultures use them to represent various other things. In India, the color blue is associated with the god Krishna, the color green with Islam, red with fertility and weddings, and white with mourning and funerals. Asian cultures see yellow as a very royal and imperial color, red as a symbol of celebration, luck, and prosperity, and white as a symbol of mourning

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