| RED | YELLOW | SEA GREEN | BLUE | GOLD | INDIGO | MEDIUM GRAY | ORANGE | MAGENTA | TEAL |
Have you ever noticed that when you put your cursor on the colour palette, you are given the name of the colour? Rather than these standardized names, colours have different cultural meanings in different societies. Generally, in Western societies:
RED – Excitement, Energy Passion, Action, Love and Danger
Meaning: Associated with communism and revolution in countries like Russia. Most places in Europe have worldly/psychological associations with the colour red like mentions before but also places like Iran have red symbolizing good fortune.
YELLOW – Happiness, Cheeriness, Optimism, warmth, joy, as well as caution and cowardice.
Meaning: While like before, most European countries associate colours like the rest of the world does and psychologically. In Germany, yellow represents envy
BLUE – Trust Security and authority
Meaning: In Europe, blue is considered to be soothing and peaceful but can also represent depression, loneliness and sadness. In some European countries, blue symbolizes healing and evil repellence. Blue eye shaped amulets, believed to protect against the evil eye are common in places like Turkey, Greece, Iran, Afghanistan and Albania.
GREEN – Nature, Freshness, Spring, Environmental Awareness, Wealth Inexperience and Jealousy.
Meaning: Green is an emblematic colour for places like Ireland which earned the nickname “The Emerald Isle” from its lush green landscapes. Green evokes natural colours and feelings like most places in the world but specifically in Europe.
WHITE – Purity, Elegance, Peace and Cleanliness
Meaning: Like psychological associations with colours, Europe follows pretty standard ones, mentioned above. For example, like western cultures, brides traditionally wear white dresses at their weddings.
PINK – Follows psychological and worldly pink association.
PURPLE – Royalty, wealth, spirituality, and nobility
Meaning: Purple is often associated with piety and faith and in Catholicism, penitence.
ORANGE – Autumn, Harvest, Warmth, and Visibility
Meaning: Following most psychological colour associations with some additions/exceptions. In the Netherlands is the colour of the Dutch Royal family.
BROWN – Follows psychological and worldly brown association.
BLACK – Sophistication and Formality
Meaning: In many cultures all around the world, like in Europe, black represents death, evil, mourning, magic, fierceness, illness, bad luck and mystery as well as sophistication and formality.