Holiday Hues – A Bit of Trivia!

By Nancy December 13th, 2010

We thought we’d share a bit of colorful holiday trivia with you today!

The meaning of holiday hues (from Kim Palmer/Sherwin-Williams)

Christmas: Red and green have been associated with the holiday for centuries. To early Christians, the colors had religious significance. Green represented the evergreen tree, symbolizing the eternal life of Jesus Christ, while red symbolized the blood shed during his crucifixion.

Hanukkah: The holiday itself, does not have traditional colors, but blue, white and silver are commonly associated with it. Making up the colors of the Israeli flag, blue and white have become the traditional colors for Judaism as a whole.

Chinese New Year: Red and gold are the traditional colors of this Buddhist celebration. Red symbolizes good luck in the coming year, while gold symbolizes wealth and happiness.

Kwanzaa: The holiday celebrating African community and culture has three hues: black for the people, red for their struggle and green for their hopes for the future.

Islam: A star and crescent moon often are used to represent the Muslim faith, as well as its holy days. The color green has a special place in Islam and is often found in mosques. Some say it was Muhammad’s favorite color; others believe it symbolizes life.

Hinduism: Color has deep meaning and significance in the Hindu faith. Some of the main hues used in religious ceremonies and celebrations are red, symbolizing sensuality and purity; saffron, the most sacred color, representing fire; green, the color of life and happiness; and yellow, the color of knowledge.