I’m having a red-letter day!

He’s seeing red.

There are red flags everywhere.

Red is the color of heightened emotion, strength, and power. It’s invigorating, intimidating, and it’s never boring.

Why do we feel so strongly about the color red?

Physical Effects

In some ways, red is the opposite of blue. Red speeds up our heart rate, blood flow, and body temperature. Red stimulates our senses of smell and taste, making us more sensitive to our environments. Red also stimulates the adrenal gland, making us more prone to take action and giving us more energy. Red is a physical stimulant.

Symbolism And Meaning Of Red

Red stands for many things, all of them potent. Red is romantic love, and its physical passion. Red is violence, anger, and aggression, and it frequently indicates danger. Paradoxically–for a color associated with action and energy–red is universally used as the color that means "stop." Red is used professionally to capture attention, elicit emotion, and convey confidence.

Positive Associations

We think of vitality, the life-giving power of blood, and helping people in need (think American Red Cross.) We give red roses when we’re in love, and call simply outstanding experiences "red letter days." Red calls us to action, gets us motivated, and wearing red lets people know we feel confident and ready to take on the world. Red is also associated with luxury–a red Ferrari and the soles of Louboutin shoes declare that a person has achieved material success.

Negative Associations

Just as blood can be associated either with its life-giving properties or with violence, red is also paradoxically affiliated with notions of violence, danger, and anger.Matadors use red capes not to attract the attention of the bulls they fight (since bulls are colorblind,) but rather to hide the bloodstains of their gory sport. Red can indicate anger beyond what reason can contain–"seeing red"–and red flags indicate (or should) when something’s wrong with a person or a situation. Red is also associated with financial loss.

Red Chakra Color

Chakras are energy centers within the body that help to regulate all its processes. Each chakra governs specific functions and is represented by one of the seven chakra colors.

Red: The color of the Base or Root chakra, also known as Muladhara. This chakra is located at the base of the spine and allows us to be grounded and connect to the universal energies. First chakra, base of the spine. Groundedness, trust, belonging, lessens feelings of mistrust. Gemstones that will aid the Root chakra include lodestone, ruby, garnet, smokey quartz, obsidian, hematite and onyx.

Red Birthstone Colors

Color Morsels

Red has the longest wavelength of any color. It’s the first color babies can see, and it’s the very first color to vanish as the sun sets.

Red is the least common color of seaglass, as red glass is expensive to produce.

The color red is an appetite stimulant. Strawberries, cranberries, and apples are all red when ripe.

Only 1-2% of the world’s population has red hair. Redheads are more sensitive to sunlight and thermal pain than people with hair of other colors, and while redheads tend to have less hair, their hair is more resistant to turning gray with age.

The color red on an exam paper can negatively affect students’ scores, as red pens are associated with negative feedback.

Red is the color of winning. Studies have shown that weightlifters demonstrate an increase in muscle strength when in a room with red light, and in video games, red players are more likely to win than players of other colors.

The color "madder red" was used in tapestries of French royalty. The recipe for the dye included ox blood, rancid castor oil, and sheep or cow dung.

Red is sexy! Studies show that both men and women perceive potential partners dressed in red as more attractive than others. In addition, men tend to give waitresses in red shirts bigger tips!

Read About the Color Red

Red Words, Phrases And Idioms

Examples of how the meaning of red colors our language:

Red carpet treatment: giving privileged treatment to an important person

Caught red-handed: clearly guilty

Red in the face: to become embarrassed

Seeing red: to be angered

Red flag: a warning of danger

Not worth a red cent: having no value

Red letter day: a memorable, joyful day [See Why an Important Date is Called a Red Letter day]

Red tape: excessive formalities in governmental process [See An Annoyance With a Colorful Name]

In the red: a term to describe an economic loss

Scarlet letter: a punitive mark of adultery that originated with the novel (1850) The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Quotes About Color Red

More Intriguing Facts About Red

Red As A Signature Color

A signature color is different than a favorite color although for some people they many be one and the same. It is all in how you express yourself with a color and how consistently you wear it or surround yourself with the color that makes it your signature shade.

• Nancy Reagan - the former first lady wore so many fire engine red dresses that the color became known as "Reagan Red."
• Diana Vreeland - An influential fashion editor who ruled the industry for five decades known for her omnipresent red lips and nails and dramatic crimson outfits. But she was also known for her vibrant red living room, one of the most recognizable and iconic rooms in design history.

Companies & Brands Identified by Red

Cities With Color Names: Red

Here are a few U.S. cities with 'red' in their name:

Color And Our Sense Of Smell: Red

Color Taste Connection: Red

Talk With Us About the Color Red

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