Visual Color Symbolism Chart by Culture

What different colors mean in different cultures

By

Updated on September 25, 2019

Color is an important part of any design, but if you make a poorly informed choice in colors, your design can say something different than you intend it to. At best, it will miss its mark; at worst, it can offend.

How colors are perceived depends a lot on a person's culture. The chart below can help give you a better sense of how the colors you choose are perceived by viewers in various cultures. In some cases, a given color is also associated with another “thing.” For example, a “white dove” in western cultures symbolizes peace. Likewise, a color combination creates the association, such as red and green symbolizing Christmas in the West. This information is noted below.

Color	Cultures and Meanings
Red	Australian Aboriginals: Land, Earth Celtic: Death, afterlife China: Good luck, celebration, summoning Cherokees: Success, triumph, the East Hebrew: Sacrifice, sin India: Purity South Africa: Mourning Russia: Bolsheviks and Communism Eastern: Worn by brides; happiness and prosperity Western: Excitement, danger, love, passion, stop, Christmas (with green), Valentine’s Day Astrology: Gemini Feng Shui: Yang, fire, good luck, money, respect, recognition, vitality Psychology: Stimulates brain wave activity, increases heart rate, increases blood pressure Roses: Love, respect; with yellow, gaiety, joviality Stained glass (Dante): Divine love, the Holy Spirit, courage, self-sacrifice, martyrdom

Color

Cultures and Meanings

Red

Australian Aboriginals: Land, Earth

Celtic: Death, afterlife

China: Good luck, celebration, summoning

Cherokees: Success, triumph, the East

Hebrew: Sacrifice, sin

India: Purity

South Africa: Mourning

Russia: Bolsheviks and Communism

Eastern: Worn by brides; happiness and prosperity

Western: Excitement, danger, love, passion, stop, Christmas (with green), Valentine’s Day

Astrology: Gemini

Feng Shui: Yang, fire, good luck, money, respect, recognition, vitality

Psychology: Stimulates brain wave activity, increases heart rate, increases blood pressure

Roses: Love, respect; with yellow, gaiety, joviality

Stained glass (Dante): Divine love, the Holy Spirit, courage, self-sacrifice, martyrdom

Pink	Korea: Trust Eastern: Marriage Western: Love, babies, (especially female), Valentine’s Day Feng Shui: Yin, love Psychology: Used as appetite suppressant and muscle relaxant; soothing Roses: Gratitude and appreciation (deep pink) or admiration and sympathy (light pink)
Orange	Ireland: Religious (Protestants) Netherlands: House of Orange Western: with black, Halloween; creativity, autumn Astrology: Sagittarius Feng Shui: Yang, Earth, conversation, purpose, organization Psychology: Energy, appetite stimulant Roses: Enthusiasm, desire
Gold	Eastern: Wealth, strength Western: Wealth Astrology: Leo Feng Shui: Yang, metal, God consciousness Stained glass (Dante): The sun, the goodness of God, treasure in heaven, spiritual achievement, the good life
Yellow	Apache: East, where the sun rises Cherokee: Trouble, strife China: Nourishing, royalty Egypt: Mourning India: Merchants Japan: Courage Navajo: Doko’oosliid — abalone shell mountain Eastern: Proof against evil, for the dead, sacred, imperial Western: Hope, hazards, coward, weakness, taxis Astrology: Taurus Feng Shui: Yang, Earth, auspicious, sunbeams, warmth, motion Psychology: Energizes, relieves depression, improves memory, stimulates appetite Roses: Sociability, friendship, joy, gladness; with yellow, gaiety, joviality Stained glass (Dante): The sun, the goodness of God, treasure in heaven, spiritual achievement, the good life
Green	Apache: South China: Exorcism; green hats imply a man’s wife is cheating on him India: Islam Ireland: Patriotism, Catholicism Islam: Perfect faith Japan: Life Eastern: Eternity, family, health, prosperity, peace Western: Spring, new birth, go, money, Saint Patrick’s Day, Christmas (with red) Astrology: Cancer (bright green) Feng Shui: Yin, wood, growing energy, nurturing, balancing, healing, health, calming Psychology: Soothing, relaxing mentally and physically; helps with depression, anxiety, and nervousness Stained glass (Dante): Hope, happiness, gaiety, springtime, youth, good humor, and fun; victory over ignorance
Blue	Cherokees: Defeat, trouble, the North China: Immortality Iran: Heaven, spirituality, mourning Navajo: Tsoodzil (turquoise mountain) Eastern: Wealth, self-cultivation Western: Depression, sadness, conservative, corporate, "something blue" bridal tradition Astrology: Capricorn and Aquarius (dark blue) Feng Shui: Yin, water, calm, love, healing, relaxing, peace, trust, adventure, exploration Psychology: Calming; lowers blood pressure, decreases respiration Stained glass (Dante): Wisdom of God, light of heaven, meditation, enduring loyalty, and eternity.
Powder/Baby Blue	Western: babies, especially males Astrology: Virgo
Purple	Thailand: Mourning, widows Eastern: Wealth Western: Royalty Astrology: Gemini, Sagittarius, and Pisces Feng Shui: Yin, spiritual awareness, physical and mental healing Stained glass (Dante): Justice, royalty, suffering, mystery; With white, humility and purity
Violet	Astrology: Virgo, Libra Psychology: Suppresses appetite; peaceful environment, good for migraines
White	Apache: North— source of snow Cherokee: Peace, happiness, the South China: Death, mourning India: Unhappiness Japan: White carnation symbolizes death Navajo: Tsisnaasjini’—dawn, white shell mountain Eastern: Funerals, helpful people, children, marriage, mourning, peace, travel Western: Brides, angels, good guys, hospitals, doctors, peace (white dove) Astrology: Aries, Pisces Feng Shui: Yang, metal, death, mourning, spirits, ghosts, poise, confidence Roses: Reverence, humility Stained glass (Dante): Serenity, peace, purity, joy, faith, innocence
Black	Apache: West, where the sun sets Australian Aboriginals: Color of the people Cherokee: Problems, death, the West China: Young boys Navajo: Dibé Nitsaa—obsidian mountain Thailand: Bad luck, unhappiness, evil Eastern: Career, evil, knowledge, mourning, penance Western: Funerals, death, Halloween (with orange), bad guys, rebellion Feng Shui: Yin, water, money, income, career success, emotional protection, power, stability, bruises, evil Psychology: self-confidence, strength, power
Gray	Eastern: Helpers, travel Western: Boring, dull, plain, sad Feng Shui: Yin, metal, dead, dull, indefinite
Silver	Western: Stylish, money Feng Shui: Yin, metal, trust, romance
Brown	Australian Aboriginals: The land Cherokee: Good Western: Wholesome, earthy, dependable, steadfast, health Astrology: Capricorn, Scorpio Feng Shui: Yang, Earth, industry, groundedness

Format

mla apa chicago

Your Citation

Girard, Jeremy. "Visual Color Symbolism Chart by Culture." ThoughtCo, Jun. 9, 2022, thoughtco.com/visual-color-symbolism-chart-by-culture-4062177. Girard, Jeremy. (2022, June 9). Visual Color Symbolism Chart by Culture. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/visual-color-symbolism-chart-by-culture-4062177 Girard, Jeremy. "Visual Color Symbolism Chart by Culture." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/visual-color-symbolism-chart-by-culture-4062177 (accessed March 25, 2023).