colour symbolism
If I asked you what’s the first colour that comes to mind when you think of Ireland, it’s likely to be green. On March 17th, the Irish the world over celebrate their patron saint. But how did the colour green become associated with St Patrick and become their good luck colour? There are many thoughts…
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The festival of Holi became internationally famous for throwing of colour. It’s a glorious festival of colour, which is celebrated at the end of the winter season on the last full moon day of the lunar month, which this year fell on 17th March. Holi is part of the Hindu religious festival lasting up to…
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It’s Chinese New Year and red is all around us! Also known as the Spring Festival, it’s one of the largest celebratory events for the Chinese community. Red (紅 hóng) is not only the cultural colour of the Chinese people, it’s also their primary celebratory colour. In China, red relates to fire and energy and has…
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If you are superstitious, then today is the day you’ll be watching your every move from keeping your fingers crossed, knocking on wood to avoiding crossing paths with a black cat. And there’s even a name for those with a morbid, irrational fear of Friday the 13th – it’s friggatriskaidekaphobics. No, I don’t know how to…
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On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month 1918 marked the signing of the Armistice, signalling the end of World War One. The first sign of life that rose from the barren battlefields was the red poppy and they has come to symbolise the memory of those who sacrificed their lives. Remembrance Day is a special…
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Every summer the best players from around the world descend on SW19 for two thrilling, nail biting weeks of tennis. I’ve been fortunate on many occasions to just chance it and turn up to see if there are any return tickets. I clearly had lady luck on my side as not only did I managed…
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As an industry colour specialist, I’m often asked to share my thoughts on business branding, product colours and the multi-sensory experience. Recently, I was approached by fragrance company, Escentric Molecules, to comment on their recently updated brand packaging and to explore the idea – can we smell colour? If you’re not familiar with Escentric Molecules,…
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Today is apparently the most depressing day of the year. It even has its own name – ‘Blue Monday’. It’s based on Dr. Cliff Arnall’s ‘formula’ where he gathered a number of factors such as Christmas holidays withdrawals, debt, low motivational levels, weather etc. And the calculations all added up to the third Monday in…
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If you have ever wondered why red robins are associated with Christmas? Let me share with you two stories I’ve heard. The first one is about postmen in Victorian Britain who were apparently nicknamed “robins” because of their red-breasted coloured uniforms. It then became popular to see these cute little birds on a Christmas card…
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Diwali is one of India’s most important cultural festivals, celebrated across the nation and worldwide by the Indian community. It’s where they light oil lamps or candles to symbolise the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil. It has also become known as the Festival of Lights. The name “Diwali” is a actually…
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