INTRODUCING RED

Red has more personal associations than any other color. Recognized as a stimulant, red is inherently exciting and the amount of red is directly related to the level of energy perceived. Red draws attention and a keen use of red as an accent can immediately focus attention on a particular element.

HOW THE COLOR RED AFFECTS US

• Increases enthusiasm

• Stimulates energy and can increase the blood pressure, respiration, heartbeat, and pulse rate

• Encourages action and confidence

• Provides a sense of protection from fears and anxiety

RED AROUND THE GLOBE

• Red represents beauty in many languages and cultures, including Russia.
  

• In Chinese culture, colors corresponded with the five primary elements, the directions and the four seasons. Red was associated with fire, south, and summer.

• In Japan, the color red is associated closely with a few deities in Shinto and Buddhist traditions, so statues of these deities are often decked in red clothing or painted red. Mark Schumacher has a page on his site the goes into depth on the Color Red in Japanese Mythology.

• In Sweden, Falun red (red based on the pigment from the Falun mine) was reserved for the privelaged class.

• In China, red is associated with good luck and fortune.

• In Greece, Easter eggs are dyed red and the Greek expression "piase kokkino" ("touch red") is said when two people say the same thing at the same time. It is believed that such an occurrence is an omen that the two will have an argument in the future, which can only be broken when the two touch the closest thing that is red.

• In Jamaica, a popular slang term for someone who is under the influence or drunk is "red."

• In England, red phone booths and red double decker buses are national icons. Standard British pillar boxes (mail boxes) have been painted red since 1874.

• In India, a red mark on the forehead is said to bring good luck.

• To the Hindu, red symbolizes joy, life, energy, and creativity.

• Islamic, Hindu, and Chinese brides traditionally wear red.

• Cochineal red, discovered by the Aztecs, was made using the female cochineal beetle. A pound of water-soluble extract required about a million insects. For the Aztecs, Indian red dye was considered more valuable than gold! However, it was the Spaniards who introduced the crimson color of Cochineal red to Europe in the 1500s.

• In Aztec culture, red was connected with blood.

• Red amulets were worn in many cultures to prolong life.

• In Singapore, the color red traditionally symbolizes joy.

• Chinese New Year is celebrated by wearing red clothing and decorating the house with red. Red envelopes with "luck money" are given to unmarried children to bring good fortune to them for the rest of the year.

• In Israel, kosher clothing stores banned the color red and sell only loose-fiting apparel for women.

• The belief in the protective power of the color red can be traced back to the old Chinese folklore of the Nian, a man-eating beast of ancient China who used to feed on human flesh. Discovering that the creature abhorred loud noises and the color red, the people made liberal use of the color not only in their firecrackers, but also in home decorations and clothing to protect themselves from the Nian.

POLITICAL ASSOCIATIONS WITH RED

• The color red represents the U.S. Republican Party and beginning with the 2000 presidential election, states that favored the Republican candidates began being referred to as "red states," while those that favored the Democratic candidates were referred to as "blue states."

• Red is the color most associated with the Soviet Union during communist reign.

INTERESTING INFORMATION ABOUT RED

• Red is the highest arc of the rainbow.

• Red is the first color you lose sight of at twilight.

• The longest wavelength of light is red.

• Eric the Red is the Norweign Viking credited for colonizing Greenland...he earned his nickname from his bright red hair and beard.

• Feng shui recommends painting the front door of a home red to invite prosperity to the residents.

• According to "The Language of Stained Glass" at Armstrong Browing Library at Baylor University: When Dante spoke of the Seraphim—the first of the nine choirs of Angels—the color that "glows" was the pure orange vermilion which his fellow citizens and brothers-in-spirit (the painters, illuminators, and glassmen) knew as red. So, it may be said that pure red is the color of divine love, the Holy Spirit, courage, self-sacrifice, martyrdom, and all the warm impulses that belong to the great-hearted everywhere.

• Bees can't see the color red, but they like all other bright colors. Red flowers are usually pollinated by birds, butterflies, bats, and wind, rather than bees.

• Red is the color that means "severe" in the color-coded threat system established by presidential order in March 2002. This system quickly informs law enforcement agencies when intelligence indicates a change in the terrorist threat facing the United States.

RED IN ATHLETICS AND SPORTS

• Baseball teams include the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals.

• Basketball teams include the Chicago Bulls.

• Hockey teams include the Detroit Red Wings.

• Thanks to a reminder from reader D.A. I want to mention the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers. Their team motto is "Go Big Red", their mascot is "Lil Red" and in her words "the stadium full of fans it is known as "The sea of red" as fans always wear red." Go Huskers!

RED AS A SIGNATURE COLOR

• Frank Lloyd Wright
• Bodacious Woman Mary Foley

COMPANIES OR BRANDS IDENTIFIED WITH RED

• Coke
• Red Bull

See more Color in Business: Brand, Trademark, & Signature Color...

RED AND GOOD CAUSES

• American Red Cross
• American Heart Association
• The red ribbon is an international symbol of AIDS awareness.
• The Red Ribbon Campaign is a drug prevention program
• Product Red
• Leonard Cheshire International
• Girls, Inc.
  

THE LANGUAGE OF RED