Color Meanings by Culture
Click to see the meanings of a color in various cultures:
| Red | Orange | Yellow | Green | Blue | Violet & Purple | Pink | White | Grey | Black | Brown | Silver | Gold |
Is this chart missing a color that is important in your home culture/country? Or do you have a different take on some of the information provided? This is not an exact science, and even some of the references below will contradict each other, so we would like to hear from you. Please contact us with any feedback.
| Western (European & North American) | Eastern & Asian | Latin American | African | Middle Eastern | South Pacific | Worldwide | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red | Danger, Love, Passion, Excitement, Sacrifice, Stop, Christmas (with Green), PowerParts of Europe: Masculinity
Celtic: Death, Afterlife3 Russia: Communism |
Joy (with White)4, Bridal Color3 China: Celebration, Good Luck, Happiness, Long Life, Summoning3
India: Purity2 Japan: Life |
Mexico: Religion (with White)1 | DeathNigeria : Wealth, Vitality, Aggression1
Some Areas: Good Luck Côte d’Ivoire & South Africa: Mourning3 |
Egypt: Luck1Iran: Good Fortune | Australia (Aboriginals): Land, Earth3New Zealand (Maori): Nobility, Divinity1 | |
| Orange | Autumn, HarvestIreland: Protestants2
The Netherlands: Royalty (Very Popular)3 Ukraine: Strength United States: Halloween (with Black) |
India (Hindu): Sacred (the Color Saffron)1 Japan: Courage, Love | Egypt: Mourning | ||||
| Yellow | Hope, Happiness, Cowardice, Weakness, Hazards, Taxis, Warmth3 Germany: Envy
Italy: Summer Ukraine: Hospitality, Benevolence |
Sacred, Imperial2China: Royalty, Nourishing3
India: Commerce3 Japan: Courage3 |
Mexico: Mourning | Ethiopia: Mourning1South Africa (Zulu): Wealth1 | Egypt: Mourning Saudi Arabia: Strength, Reliability | ||
| Green | Environmental Awareness, Spring, New Birth, Go, Christmas (with Red), St. Patrick’s DayFrance : Not a Good Color for Packaging5
Ireland: National Color, Catholicism2 United States: Money |
China: Exorcism, Infidelity (Green Hats), Not a Good Color for Packaging5 India: Islam2
Japan: Life, High-tech |
North Africa: CorruptionSouth Africa (Zulu): Nature1 | HolinessEgypt: National Color, Fertility, Not a Good Color for Packaging5 | Indonesia: Forbidden ColorMalaysia and Some Areas: Danger2 | Military (Olive Green)4 | |
| Blue | Soothing Scandinavia: CleanlinessUkraine: Good Health
United States: Baby Boys (Light Blue), Used by Many Banks to Symbolize Trust5 |
China: Immortality2 India (Hindu): Krishna2 | Colombia: Soap2 | Nigeria (Yoruba): Very Positive1South Africa (Zulu): Happiness1 | Protective2 Iran: Heaven, Immortality, Spirituality
Israel: Holiness2 |
Often considered to be the “safest” and “most positive” global color2 | |
| Violet & Purple | Royalty3 | China: NobilityIndia: Reincarnation
Thailand: Mourning3 |
Brazil: Mourning | Egypt: Virtue1 | |||
| Pink | Feminine | Marriage3East India: Feminine
Japan: Popular with Both Genders Korea: Trust3 |
South Africa (Zulu): Poverty1 | ||||
| White | Marriage, Peace, Purity, Hospitals, HolinessItaly: Death and Funerals (White Chrysanthemum) | Funerals3, Coldness, Sterility2China: Death, Mourning3, Age, Misfortune
India: Unhappiness3, Death5, Rebirth Japan: Mourning (White Carnation)2 |
Ethiopia: Illness, Purity1 Nigeria: Good Luck, Peace1
South Africa (Zulu): Goodness1 Zambia: Goodness, Cleanliness, Good Luck1 |
Egypt: Status1Iran: Holiness, Peace1 | New Guinea: Prosperity1 | ||
| Grey | Poverty, Plainness | Papua New Guinea: Mourning1 | |||||
| Black | Funerals, Death, Mourning, Formality, Rebellion | China: Color for Young Boys, Trust, High QualityThailand: Bad Luck, Unhappiness, Evil
Tibet: Evil |
Peru: Mourning, Favored Color for Male Clothing1 | Ethiopia: Impure, Unpleasant1Nigeria: Ominous1 | Egypt: Rebirth1Iran: Mourning | New Zealand: Patriotic National Color1Australia (Aboriginals): Color of the People3 | |
| Brown | Earthy, Healthy3, PovertyUnited States: Often a Greatly Successful Color for Food Packaging5 | India: Mourning4 | Colombia: Discourages Sales4 Nicaragua: Disapproval4 | Australia (Aboriginals): Color of the Land3 | |||
| Silver | Money, Stylish | ||||||
| Gold | Money, Success, High Quality |
1. Vanka PhD, Surya. International Color Guide, Tektronix/Xerox.
3. Kyrnin, Jennifer. Visual Color Symbolism Chart by Culture.
5. Psychological Effects of Color, California State University Stanislaus
