If you use color on your Web site, then you should be aware of how your audience views those colors. This is especially important if you are designing a site that is intended for an audience of a different culture than your own (or a global audience). The cultural basis for color symbolism can be very powerful, and if you don't understand what you're saying with your colors, you can make big mistakes.
Learn more about color symbolism
Red
- China: Good luck, celebration, summoning
- Cherokees: Success, triumph
- India: Purity
- South Africa: Color of mourning
- Russia: Bolsheviks and Communism
- Eastern: Worn by brides
- Western: Excitement, danger, love, passion, stop, Christmas (with green)
Orange
- Ireland: Religious (Protestants)
- Western: Halloween (with black), creativity, autumn
Yellow
- China: Nourishing
- Egypt: Color of mourning
- Japan: Courage
- India: Merchants
- Western: Hope, hazards, coward
Green
- China: Green hats indicate a man's wife is cheating on him, exorcism
- India: Islam
- Ireland: Symbol of the entire country
- Western: Spring, new birth, go, Saint Patrick's Day, Christmas (with red)
Blue
- Cherokees: Defeat, trouble
- Iran: Color of heaven and spirituality
- Western: Depression, sadness, conservative, corporate, "something blue" bridal tradition
Purple
- Thailand: Color of mourning (widows)
- Western: Royalty
White
- Japan: White carnation symbolizes death
- Eastern: Funerals
- Western: Brides, angels, good guys, hospitals, doctors, peace (white dove)
Black
- China: Color for young boys
- Western: Funerals, death, Halloween (with orange), bad guys, rebellion
