Colourful Discoveries

The Pride rainbow flag was debuted in 1978 in San Francisco, USA. It was designed by the artist Gilbert Baker and commissioned by Harvey Milk, a local politician in San Francisco. Until that point the most commonly used symbol for the LGBTQ+ community was a pink triangle, despite its negative connotations with the Nazi party, who used it to identify LGBTQ+ people in the 1930s and 1940s.  Since 1978, there has been a variety of designs and the colours used have changed over the years. The original 1978 flag had hot pink at one end but was later removed as the fabric was expensive. Turquoise and indigo were replaced by blue when San Francisco Pride wanted to display a flag across a street and needed an even number of colours to do so. More recently, some people have added a brown and black stripe at one end to represent non-white members of the LGBTQ+ community.  Each colour has a meaning: Red = life, Orange = healing, Yellow = sunlight, Green = nature, Blue = harmony, Violet/purple = spirit. The rainbow flag represents the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community. It is also thought to reference Judy Garland and her most famous song, ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow’, as she was, and remains to this day, an icon for the gay community.  

Roses are red.... In some Asian countries red is the colour of happiness and good luck. In China red envelopes with money inside are given out at special occasions and red outfits and decorations are common at New Year. In India, bridal outfits are red and married women show their marital status with red henna on their hands. Red is also linked to love, most Valentine's Day cards and gifts are red and red roses are a traditional token of love. Conversely red is also connected to anger, ‘seeing red’ describes someone caught in a rage. Mars, the Roman god of war, was linked to the colour red.  Did you know? There is a theory that the colour red stimulates appetite, many restaurant chains use red for their logo. 

Trick or treat? Orange has various symbolic meanings across the globe. In the Netherlands it is the colour of the Royal Family and on King’s Day everyone dresses in orange clothing. In western countries it is linked to Halloween, probably due to pumpkins and autumnal leaves. Did you know? In the western world the colour orange was referred to as yellow-red until the fruit was introduced to Europe in the late 15th century. It is often used by brands who want to express that they offer value for money or excitement and adventure.   

Suffragettes in Kansas, USA, wore yellow ribbons to show their support for votes for women. However, yellow is also linked to cowardice and illness, such as jaundice. In Christianity Judas is often shown wearing yellow after he betrayed Jesus. The phrase ‘yellow-bellied’ describes someone behaving in a cowardly manner.  Did you know? Due to yellow being a bright colour it is often used in emergency signing and high visibility clothing.  

The green-eyed monster? Shakespeare made it the colour of jealousy when he coined the phrase ‘green-eyed monster’. It is also associated with illness and poison, and people are described as going green when they feel unwell. The supernatural has links with the colour green too: the witch’s skin in the 'Wizard of Oz' is green and aliens are often depicted as ‘green men from outer space’. However, it is also seen as a calming colour. In many countries it means it’s safe to proceed, ‘given the green light’.  Going green - and, because it is the colour of nature, it has come to represent being environmentally conscious.  

Are you feeling blue? Blue can have a calming effect due to its link to the sky and water but is also linked to sadness, people who feel unhappy may say they are ‘feeling blue’. Blue the only colour to have a type of music named after it, Rhythm and Blues, and a type of humour. Blue is often used for financial institutions and official organisations, it conveys professionalism and trustworthiness. Did you know? From the first half of the 20th century blue was the colour worn by baby girls and pink was for baby boys.  

In 1856 William Henry Perkin accidently discovered how to make synthetic purple dye, when trying to produce quinine, making the colour available to the masses.  He named it Mauveine, after the purple coloured flower. Did you know? In the 1970s it became a fashionable colour for clothes and is linked to Psychedelia, with musicians David Bowie, Prince and Jimi Hendrix wearing and singing about the colour purple. Companies continue to use it to convey expense and high quality.