Why Colors Mean Different Things
Key Vocabulary
| Word / Phrase | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| funeral | a meeting after a person is not living | In China, white is a funeral color. |
| wedding | the day two people start a family together | In many cities, women wear white at a wedding. |
| lucky | bringing a good result | In China, red is often a lucky color. |
| wear | to have clothes on your body | Women wear white on their wedding day. |
| choose | to pick one thing from more than one | When you choose a gift, think about color. |
Article
You see a white dress and think of a wedding. You see black clothes and think of a funeral. These color ideas feel like home in your city. They are not the same in every city.
People learn color ideas from family. The eye sees red and white in the same way. The people around you teach what that color should say. [1][2]
White is a good example. In many cities, women wear white on their wedding day. In China, white is a funeral color. People in China think white is more sad. [1][2]
Red also changes. In China, red is a lucky color for weddings and gifts. In many other cities, red can mean love. It can also mean a person who feels angry. [1][2]
In Greece, purple is a more sad color. You see dark purple in church at funerals. [1][2]
A red stop sign tells you to stop. A red wedding dress can be a happy day. White at a funeral can look sad. The color does not work alone.
When you choose a gift, ask a small question. What does this color mean here?
Discussion Questions
- What colors do people use for weddings where you live?
- If you give a gift to a friend from another city, which colors do you pick?
- Which color story in the article is new for you?
- Do you have a lucky color? Where did that idea come from?
- Would you wear white to a wedding? Why?
References
- Johannes Gutenberg Universitaet Mainz, "Colors evoke similar feelings around the world," ScienceDaily, summarizing a 30-nation color-emotion study.
- Domicele Jonauskaite et al., "Universal Patterns in Color-Emotion Associations Are Further Shaped by Linguistic and Geographic Proximity," Psychological Science, 2020.