Visual Color Symbolism Chart by Culture

Color is an important part of any design, but if you make a bad choice of colors your design can say something different than you intend it to. How colors are perceived depends a lot on the culture a person was born into. With the chart below, you can get a better sense of how the colors you choose affect your customers in various cultures.

This chart lists colors and meanings that various different cultures associate with those colors.

Note that in some cases, the color is also associated with another “thing”. For example, a “white dove” in western cultures symbolizes peace. Also, sometimes it’s the color in combination with another color that creates the association, such as red and green symbolizing Christmas in the West. This information is noted below.

Red
Pink
Orange

Gold
Yellow
Green

Blue
Baby Blue
Purple

Violet
White
Black

Gray
Silver
Brown

Return to Color Symbolism Information

Color	Cultures and Meanings
Red	Australian Aboriginals: Land, earth Celtic: Death, afterlife China: Good luck, celebration, summoning Cherokees: Success, triumph. Represents the East. Hebrew: Sacrifice, sin India: Purity South Africa: Color of 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 — red and yellow together means gaiety, joviality Stained Glass (Dante): Divine love, the Holy Spirit, courage, self-sacrifice, martyrdom. A warm, active color. Red Color Palettes

Color

Cultures and Meanings

Red

Australian Aboriginals: Land, earth
Celtic: Death, afterlife
China: Good luck, celebration, summoning
Cherokees: Success, triumph. Represents the East.
Hebrew: Sacrifice, sin
India: Purity
South Africa: Color of 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 — red and yellow together means gaiety, joviality
Stained Glass (Dante): Divine love, the Holy Spirit, courage, self-sacrifice, martyrdom. A warm, active color.

Red Color Palettes

Original article by Jennifer Krynin, edited by Jeremy Girard

Pink	Korea: Trust Eastern: Marriage Western: Love, babies, especially female babies, Valentine’s Day Feng Shui: Yin, love Psychology: Used in diet therapy as an appetite suppressant, relaxes muscles, soothing Roses: Gratitude and appreciation (deep pink) or admiration and sympathy (light pink)
Orange	Ireland: Religious (Protestants) Netherlands: House of Orange Western: Halloween (with black), creativity, autumn Astrology: Sagittarius Feng Shui: Yang, earth, strengthens conversation, purpose, organization Psychology: Energizes, stimulates appetite Roses: Enthusiasm, desire
Gold	Eastern: Wealth, strength Western: Wealth Astrology: Leo (Golden Yellow/Orange) Feng Shui: Yang, metal, God consciousness Stained Glass (Dante): The sun, the goodness of God, treasure in heaven, spiritual achievement, and the good life.
Yellow	Apache: East — where the sun rises Cherokee: Trouble and 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, sun beams, warmth, motion Psychology: Energizes, relieves depression, improves memory, stimulates appetite Roses: Sociability, friendship, joy, gladness — red and yellow together means gaiety, joviality Stained Glass (Dante): The sun, the goodness of God, treasure in heaven, spiritual achievement, and the good life.
Green	Apache: South China: Green hats imply a man’s wife is cheating on him, exorcism India: Islam Ireland: Symbol of the entire country, religious (Catholics) 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, victory over ignorance, happiness and gaiety, springtime, youth, good humor, and fun. Green Color Palettes
Blue	Cherokees: Defeat, trouble. Represents the North. China: Immortality Iran: Color of heaven and 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, the light of heaven, meditation, enduring loyalty, and eternity. Blue Color Palettes
Powder Blue or Baby Blue	Western: babies, especially male babies 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 and mystery. With white it stands for humility and purity.
Violet	Astrology: Virgo and Libra Psychology: Suppresses appetite, peaceful environment, good for migraines
White	Apache: North — source of snow. Cherokee: Peace and happiness. Represents the South. China: Death, mourning India: unhappiness Japan: White carnation symbolizes death Navajo: Tsisnaasjini’ — Dawn or White Shell Mountain Eastern: Funerals, helpful people, children, marriage, mourning, peace, travel Western: Brides, angels, good guys, hospitals, doctors, peace (white dove) Astrology: Aries and Pisces Feng Shui: Yang, metal, death, mourning, spirits, ghosts, poise, confidence Roses: Reverence, humility Stained Glass (Dante): Serenity, peace, purity, joy, faith, and innocence.
Black	Apache: West — where the sun sets Australian Aboriginals: Color of the people Cherokee: Problems and death. Represents the West. China: Color for young boys Navajo: Dibé Nitsaa — Obsidian Mountain Thailand: Bad luck, unhappiness, evil Eastern: Career, evil, knowledge, mourning, pennance 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: Color of the land Cherokee: Good. Western: Wholesome, earthy, dependable, steadfast, health Astrology: Capricorn and Scorpio (reddish brown) Feng Shui: Yang, earth, industry, grounded