Why Colors Mean Different Things
Key Vocabulary
| Word / Phrase | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| meaning | the idea that a word, sign, or color stands for | White can have a different meaning at a wedding and at a funeral. |
| culture | the shared customs, beliefs, and ways of life of a group of people | Culture teaches people what colors say at celebrations. |
| funeral | a ceremony for someone who has died | In some countries, people wear white to a funeral. |
| lucky | bringing good fortune or a good result | In China, red is often seen as a lucky color. |
| envy | the unhappy feeling of wanting what someone else has | In English, people say someone is green with envy. |
Article
You see a white dress and think of a wedding. You see a red envelope and think of luck. You see black clothes and think of a funeral. These ideas may feel normal, but colors do not have the same meaning everywhere.
People learn color meanings from family, holidays, religion, and daily life. A color can mean one thing in your country and something different in another place. [1][2]
White is a good example. In many Western countries, brides wear white, and the color often means a new beginning. In China and some other parts of Asia, white is also connected with funerals. Researchers found that people in China connect white with sadness more strongly than people in many other countries. [1][2]
Red also has different meanings. In China, red is a lucky color for weddings, New Year, and gifts. In many other places, red can mean love, danger, or anger. A study in 30 countries found that red was strongly connected with both love and anger. [1][2]
Black is often worn at funerals in Europe and North America, but it can also look elegant in fashion. Green often makes people think of nature. In some Muslim cultures, green also has a special religious meaning. [1][2]
The meaning of a color also depends on the situation. A red stop sign is a warning, but a red wedding dress can be part of a celebration.
When you choose a gift, card, or clothes for a special event, it can be helpful to ask what the colors mean in that culture.
Discussion Questions
- What colors are used for weddings and funerals in your country, and why?
- If you give a gift to a friend from another culture, which colors would you choose or avoid?
- Which color meaning in the article surprised you most, and what made it surprising?
- Do you have a lucky color? Where did that idea come from?
- Would you wear white to a wedding in a country where white is a funeral color? Why or why not?
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.