Colors are an important part of human existence. Besides the superstition surrounding it, a color can have an impact on a person’s mood or feelings. Colors mean different things to different people and sometimes those beliefs seem to be in direct opposition to each other. Superstitions regarding different colors are as varied as the colors themselves and color superstition can include good luck as well as bad luck.

The color white reflects light and carries many meanings and connotations.  In America, the color represents purity but for those who live in the Orient, white is the color of mourning. Though the two beliefs would seem, at first glance, not to be related, a little further inspection reveals they are based in the same ideas. While white represents purity and holiness, it is also seen as a protective color. It is used to dress the dead because they are believed to be on a journey to a more pure and holy place.

Besides what we associate a color with, actual animals and objects of a certain color carry certain beliefs.  A white carnation stands for death while a white dove symbolizes life. A white pigeon, however, represents bad luck and must be spat upon, along with the white cat, cow, hare, or horse.  Stories read to us as children and that we read as adults further reinforce these superstitions.  What princess has not yearned for her white knight to come to her rescue?  And when watching a movie, even with the volume turned down, we know that the cowboy in the white hat must be the good guy.    

On the opposite end of the color spectrum is the color black.  Superstitions about the color black abound making it one of the fear-inducing colors in the entire rainbow. Powerful, masculine and sophisticated, in the color black also lies the unknown, the mysterious, that which is to be feared.

Black is usually thought of as the color of death or evil. We always hear of the villain with the black heart or the troubled child being the black sheep of the family. Black humor is based in death or morbidity and does not always bring laughter. Black magic draws on the dark forces of the universe to cause harm or misfortune to its victim.

Halloween is one holiday based largely on superstition and where black is used, along with orange, to evoke fear whether it be in fun or in fact. Black cats and witches dressed in black, black skies with bright full moons, black bats and black spiders abound in stories and in neighborhoods on this night tailor-made for superstitions.

The myriad of colors that lie between black and white carry their own superstitious significance.

Red is the color of passion. It is the color of blood and, therefore, represents love and sacrifice. In the Catholic religion, the color red is worn by the Cardinals to indicate their willingness to die for their faith. It can also mean anger such as “seeing red” or be a warning as in “red flag.” Superstition holds that one may ward off witches or other evils with the color red.

The color yellow is most often associated with the sun. Physically, it is the hardest color for the human eye to absorb. Beliefs surrounding the use of this color include the idea to be in a room of this color will improve one’s memory and stimulate the appetite, but it will also cause a child to cry more and even shortens the temper of the adult. A yellow ribbon is tied around a tree to symbolize hope or remembrance while a yellow sign stands as a warning or caution.

Green is the color of the life and represents the earth and nature. It is the easiest color for the eye to absorb. Because it is the color of new growth it is often associated with healing. Many hospital walls are painted green and those in the health profession seem to have a preference to wearing the color green. Green may bring to mind abundance as it is the color of money. It can also carry negative connotations as in sickness when someone is said to be “green around the gills” or in China, if a man is wearing a green hat, it means that his wife is cheating on him.

The color blue is one of the most popular of the colors and is the opposite of red. It is believed to calm and soothe but can also do so to the point of depression or sadness. It symbolizes peacefulness and tranquility. Beliefs about the color blue include the idea that a prospective employee should wear blue to an interview because it conveys a sense of loyalty. Conversely, it considered unlucky for an actor to wear blue unless it is accompanied by the color silver.

 “Something blue” is a must for a new bride. Superstitions regarding this ritual are based in Roman tradition where the bride would wear the color blue as a symbol of her love, modesty, and fidelity.

An interesting name as well as superstitions surrounding it is the color “Haint Blue.” A haint is a variation of the word “haunt” which means spirit or ghost. The Gullah, or the African American people of the South Carolina coastal region, appear to be the originators of this color “Haint Blue” and the tradition that comes with it.

All around the south, ceilings, doorways and shutters in the south are painted this color. Some say the blue color keeps the bugs away because the bug thinks of the blue as the sky, others, however, believe the color is purely to ward off demons and evil spirits.

Negative or positive, the associations we make with the different colors of our world impact how we see our surroundings and how we feel at any given moment. It is said that humans are each born under a color and each of us have a preference for a certain color as we go through life. This preference likely stems from an association we have formed at sometime in our past.

Whether cool or hot, dark or light, many colors make up our universe.  For each of those colors, there have been born that many superstitions, and more.

Sources:

http://www.myweddingfavors.com/superstitions.html

http://webdesign.about.com/od/colorcharts/l/bl_colorculture.htm

http://www.paranormalsoup.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=34981