Have you ever wondered why the colour Red is so impactful in nearly every sector of the world? Why is red this important in so many ancient cultures? Why is it a tradition for Asian brides, be it Bengali, Indian, Chinese or Thai, to wear red?
Well if you ever stumbled across this question then this blog might help you. Let’s debunk the allure behind red and see what makes it spectacular.
Fun Facts on the colour Red:
Before we dive deep into the psychology, this facts about Red might blow your mind:
- After black and white, Red is the first colour which is visible to babies.
- Abot 77% of all countries include red in their flags.
- Red is the most primitive colour which is found on cave wall arts dating thousands of years before the birth of Christ.
- It’s a primary colour, the very blood in our veins is red.
- Red is one of the top two favourite colours chosen by the people around the world.
- Red is a very controversial colour; while it is associated with danger and anger, it also represents fertility and passion.
- Due to its attention grabbing property, red is used as danger or stop signs in 99% places of the world.
The cultural heritage of Red:
Red is deeply connected to various ancient cultures around the globe. In Roman mythology, it’s associated with courage. Hence it’s the symbol for the god of war, Mars, and the colour of the army. The uniform for Roman warriors was a Red tunic. Gladiators were adorned in red and the victorious would paint themselves red. Red not only symbolised war and death, it also meant life and fertility, just like blood. That’s why Roman brides wore a flammeum, a scarlet shawl.
In Christian history, red represents the blood of Christ. Thus it is the colour for Catholic cardinals. Despite that, the theme of Christmas is in red and green. Quite ironic isn’t it?
In Chinese culture, red is the colour of good fortune, joy and happiness. It is even banned for funerals. A Chinese bride will wear a red dress and walk down a red carpet aisle. Even the Chinese New year is always a red themed festival.
Red being a very bold colour, is considered to ward off evil spirits in Indian culture, which is why traditional brides wear red to start off their married life in a righteous way.
Psychology of the colour Red:
Red is the warmest colour in the spectrum due to its large wavelength. That’s why it provokes the strongest emotions, be it of any kind. This colour is very contradictory, as it is linked with sophisticated emotions like love and passion, it also represents anger, power and boldness. Red elevates many physical things such as blood pressure, heart beat, metabolism and breathing. Across the world, red is used as the colour for aggression. This is due to the fact that blood pressure increases due to anger. Thus people’s face, neck and sometimes eyes turn red when they are angry or showing any emotions related to aggression. Wearing red makes a person look more attractive, thus it is associated with passion, desire and love.
We have to admit that out of any colour, Red is the one which brings out the most opposing feelings in a person. Some might consider it as dangerous, some aggressive and some attractive or passionate. This totally depends on the beholder, but yet all of it is so different. This is the allure of red. This is what makes red stand out amongst the other colours of the spectrum. Red makes us feel warned and bold at the same time. We feel powerful and passionate simultaneously. That’s why most people are drawn to red and this colour is so powerful from the time being.
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Writer
Rifah Zakiah
Intern, Content Writing Department
YSSE