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Chinese Beliefs About Colors

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When you see colors, some feelings or images may come to mind. You may think of nature, danger, good luck, or bad luck. For cultures around the world, colors are symbols. Their meanings, though, are not the same in each culture. For the Chinese, some colors have a special meaning. It’s well known that they think of red as good luck, but what about the other colors?

The Chinese believed that black was the color of the heavens, because they noticed that the northern sky was often strangely black. This old belief became a saying: “heaven and earth of mysterious black.” Red was the color of good fortune and joy. Therefore, it was seen everywhere during celebrations such as weddings, birthdays, and the New Year. People gave money as gifts in red envelopes as well.

 

Green was the color of spring, and it represented energy and strength. White was a symbol of brightness and purity. It also symbolized death, so people wore white when loved ones died. Yellow was considered to be the most beautiful color. As it was a symbol of the earth’s rulers, the Chinese kings wore yellow and lived under yellow roofs.

Some of these beliefs remain to this day, and the Chinese continue to follow them. What do colors mean to your culture? Are they similar to the examples above?