No doubt about it, colors convey meaning. They can make a statement, influence our mood, and affect our environment.
We often use colors to express ideas in language. Just look at the colors used in common phrases of English. Any native speaker will understand the meaning of ‘blue Mondays’, ‘green thumbs’ and ‘blue collars’, ‘red tape’, ‘blue ribbons’ and ‘pink slips’. The meanings we associate with colors are by no means universal, however, and the symbolism and connotations we take for granted in our own culture may seem strange to a foreigner.
Colors can be seasonal. In a country with four seasons, we tend to associate pastels with spring and summer and darker colors with fall and winter. In a country with only dry and rainy seasons, though, anything goes. We also associate colors with certain holiday seasons - red and green with Christmas, blue and white with Hanukkah, orange and black with Halloween, and fall colors with Thanksgiving.
In Indonesia, ethnic groups can be differentiated not only by the patterns of their woven cloth but by the colors used in them as well. Anyone from East Nusa Tenggara who sees a Timorese man wearing a sarong with red, white and yellow traditional organic colors will assume he hails from Amfoang. Women wearing traditional sarongs of dark brown and black probably come from Sabu, whereas those wearing black and red ones would more likely be from Rote.
The colors for traditional ceremonies, observances, or celebrations are also culture-bound. At a wedding in the United States, the bride traditionally wears white, whereas in India we might see her wearing red. In Western countries, mourners at a funeral customarily wear black. In Asian countries, Chinese mourners wear white. In India, widows traditionally wear white as well.
Since color conveys meaning, we need to be careful. Wearing the wrong color in another culture can send the wrong message. When Indonesian friends of ours studying in the States took their baby boy out for a walk in his stroller, passersby would smile and ask, “What’s her name?” or “How old is she?” The parents wondered why everyone assumed their baby was a girl. Only later did they learn it was because of the way he was dressed. In the U.S. pink is for girls and blue is for boys - color associations not found in their own culture.
Indeed, colors speak all languages – but that doesn’t mean that they are universally understood!
We often use colors to express ideas in language. Just look at the colors used in common phrases of English. Any native speaker will understand the meaning of ‘blue Mondays’, ‘green thumbs’ and ‘blue collars’, ‘red tape’, ‘blue ribbons’ and ‘pink slips’. The meanings we associate with colors are by no means universal, however, and the symbolism and connotations we take for granted in our own culture may seem strange to a foreigner.
Colors can be seasonal. In a country with four seasons, we tend to associate pastels with spring and summer and darker colors with fall and winter. In a country with only dry and rainy seasons, though, anything goes. We also associate colors with certain holiday seasons - red and green with Christmas, blue and white with Hanukkah, orange and black with Halloween, and fall colors with Thanksgiving.
In Indonesia, ethnic groups can be differentiated not only by the patterns of their woven cloth but by the colors used in them as well. Anyone from East Nusa Tenggara who sees a Timorese man wearing a sarong with red, white and yellow traditional organic colors will assume he hails from Amfoang. Women wearing traditional sarongs of dark brown and black probably come from Sabu, whereas those wearing black and red ones would more likely be from Rote.
The colors for traditional ceremonies, observances, or celebrations are also culture-bound. At a wedding in the United States, the bride traditionally wears white, whereas in India we might see her wearing red. In Western countries, mourners at a funeral customarily wear black. In Asian countries, Chinese mourners wear white. In India, widows traditionally wear white as well.
Since color conveys meaning, we need to be careful. Wearing the wrong color in another culture can send the wrong message. When Indonesian friends of ours studying in the States took their baby boy out for a walk in his stroller, passersby would smile and ask, “What’s her name?” or “How old is she?” The parents wondered why everyone assumed their baby was a girl. Only later did they learn it was because of the way he was dressed. In the U.S. pink is for girls and blue is for boys - color associations not found in their own culture.
Indeed, colors speak all languages – but that doesn’t mean that they are universally understood!