Colour & Culture

General Knowledge for Kids
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COLOUR & CULTURE
COLOUR & CULTURE
Colour is an extremely important part of our lives.

No matter where we live, we are surrounded by
colour. It is everywhere and is deeply rooted in our
imaginations. Each of us use colour to say different things and make statements without having to
use words. Every country, every culture has a
unique relationship with colour. What might be a
happy colour in once place may be the colour of
doom in another. Let's learn what colour means,
and how it is perceived by people across the globe.
White
White
consistently
signifies
purity, cleanliness & peace to
people everywhere. In Hinduism,
white is the colour of mourning.
This is because death is not considered a final end in the endless
journey of man. China and Japan
also have a tradition of wearing
white after a death and it was
considered the colour of deepest
mourning amongst
medieval European queens.
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COLOUR & CULTURE
In Christianity, a bride wears white to her wedding.

In Zambia white could mean good luck and in New
Guinea it is a symbol of prosperity.
Black
Black is the colour of the night and for ages has
been considered the colour of 'evil', like in Tibet.
Black can also signify sophistication and power
(black suits & black dresses), darkness or emptiness.
In the west, black is associated with mourning. In
egypt it could mean rebirth while in Australia it
signifies the colour of the Aboriginal people.
COLOUR & CULTURE
Red
Red is associated with blood, danger, fertility &

emotions. In India it is associated with celebration,
where brides wear red saris adorned with gold. Red
is the colour of the tika, and kum kum, the red
powder that married women put in the parting of
their hair.
In China red has a positive connotation. It is associated with loyalty, honour, success, happiness and
passion. The manifesto of Chairman Mao is called
the little red book and contains quotations that
form the base of communism in China.
For the Celtics, red is a colour of afterlife.
The Ndembu warriors of Central Africa see red as a
colour of life and health. Similarly, the aboriginals
of Australia associate it with mother earth.
COLOUR & CULTURE
Orange
Orange is a warm & vibrant colour that signifies
fire, balance, attraction, warmth and attention. It
stimulates appetite & conversation and hence is
used liberally in restaurants across the world.
In the Netherlands orange is the colour of royalty.
In Japan it is the colour of courage & love. In
India, monks & sadhus wear saffron because it is
considered sacred.
In the US, orange is a popularcolour seen during
halloween while in Egypt it signifies mourning.
COLOUR & CULTURE
Yellow
Yellow is the colour of self confidence, intellect,
communication and sanctity. In germany yellow
signifies envy while in Italy it represents the
summer. In china it could mean royalty and in
Mexico, mourning. In South Africa amongst the
Zulus, yellow means wealth. In India yellow is the
colour of sanctity.
Yellow and black also happen to be the most visibly

identified colour combination because it is the
highest contrast combination on the colow wheel.
Hence it is used internationally in road and warning signs. Next time you see yellow stripes on a
black tarmac road, you will know why.
COLOUR & CULTURE
Green
Green symbolises, nature, envy, money, growth &
fertility. Green is the colour of chlorophyll and
hence it is widely present in trees & plants. Green
also symbolises health, healing, the environment
and vitality. It is also considered the colour of
envy.
Green is a special colour signifying paradise in all

Islamic nations. In the west green is associated
with spring, environmental awareness and recycling. In Ireland it is associated with Saint Patrick.
In japan it means life and also signifies high-tech.
It is the national colour of Egypt. Worldwide, it is
also the colour most worn by the military.
COLOUR & CULTURE
Blue
Blue is the colour of the sky and oceans, rivers &
lakes (because they reflect the blue in the sky),
tranquility, spirituality, peace, loyalty & security.
Ancient Egyptians used blue to depict the heavens.
In Scandinavia blue is a soothing colour. In Ukraine

it signifies good health. In the United states it signifies baby boys. In India blue is the colour of gods
- Lord Shiva is depicted as blue. He is also called
Neel Kanth - one with the blue throat. In Nigeria it
is the colour of positivity and in Israel it is the
colour of Holiness.
COLOUR & CULTURE
Purple
Purple represents success and hence the saying when
someone is doing well is that he's 'going through a
purple patch'. It is the colour of wisdom, enlightenment and sometimes mourning. In India purple
could signify reincarnation and in China it represents nobility.
Throughout the western world the colour purple also
signifies royalty. In Brazil it could mean mourning
while in Egypt it means virtue. The Zulus of South
Africa consider it it the colour of poverty.
COLOUR & CULTURE
We have briefly seen how colour can have so many

meanings. The study of colour is very important as
it gives us insights into culture and how people
from various cultures perceive colour. This knowledge of colour allows us to make statements by
wearing certain colours on certain occasions.
Wedding cards and other happy occasions use colours that signify joy and life.
Advertisers use this knowledge to help create feelings of positivity when they design ad campaigns.
Product packaging experts use colour combinations
to make a product look appealing so you will react
positively to it and buy it. Fashion designers, illustrators, art directors are all very concerned with
the meaning of colour and use it to convey messages through their work.
The next time you buy anything, take a moment
to ponder why have you chosen that particular
product. Is it the colour that made you make that
choice? And why? Would a cool gizmo or a tshirt be as cool if it were another colour?
COLOUR & CULTURE
Projects
What do the colours in the flags of different countries signify? What do these colours mean to the
people of that country?
Do research and find out what is warm colour and
what is cool colour?
Why do warmer countries use bright and vibrant
colours and colder countries prefer muted colours?
Do all people see colour in the same way? Explore
more about how people perceive colour and research
things like colour blindness.
Why do lawyers and magistrates wear black robes
and why does the military wear green?
What is iridescence? Research this wonderful phenomenon.
Make a questionnaire about colour and ask people
around you what colours they like and why.
For more such interactive article and video, visit:

mocomi.com/learn/
Image references:
Mary Queen of Scots in mourning_This image (or other media file) is in the public domain because itscopyright has
expired.
Leavessnipedale_This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0
Marines MARPAT_This image or file is in the public domain
Red tikka powder_This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic
Maitreya Bodhisattva and Monks Singapore_This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share
Alike 2.0 Generic
Princess Beatrice mourning_This image (or other media file) is in the public domain because its copyright has
expired.
Leon_Arms.svg_This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
AdirondackHighPeaks_This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0

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General Knowledge for Kids

COLOUR & CULTURE

COLOUR & CULTURE

Colour is an extremely important part of our lives.

COLOUR & CULTURE

In Christianity, a bride wears white to her wedding.

COLOUR & CULTURE

Red is associated with blood, danger, fertility &

COLOUR & CULTURE

COLOUR & CULTURE

Yellow and black also happen to be the most visibly

COLOUR & CULTURE

Green is a special colour signifying paradise in all

COLOUR & CULTURE

In Scandinavia blue is a soothing colour. In Ukraine

COLOUR & CULTURE

COLOUR & CULTURE

We have briefly seen how colour can have so many

COLOUR & CULTURE

For more such interactive article and video, visit:

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