(Some of the ribbon used for causes)
(Light candles set in a ribbon formation to promote awareness of World Cancer Day in Bengaluru, India)
Ribbons are used as a remembrance symbol practiced by society. Depending on each color and pattern of the ribbon, the meaning behind differs. But most ribbons have a common background that links them all together: pain. The majority of ribbon remembrance deals with diseases, remembering tragedy or lost. There is a variety of ways to practice ribbon remembrance including posting on social media and pinning ribbon on outfits.
Some of the most commonly known ribbons are the pink ribbon for breast cancer awareness, purple ribbon for all cancer survivors, and yellow ribbon for military support. But there are also other meanings behind each that are not well known. Pink ribbon also represents abdominal cancer awareness, purple ribbon for LGBT hate crime, and yellow ribbon for remembering the Sewol Ferry accident that occurred last year.
As more accidents and diseases increase, remembrances behind ribbons do as well. For example, the black ribbon is commonly used in funerals but it is also used to mourn for injustice deaths. It is used to remember Manila hostage crisis in Hong Kong, for 9/11 twin tower attack, and recently used for Paris attack.
Using ribbon as a whole society provides support for each other. Often ribbon practices promote gathering people together and bare through painful incidents as a whole community. This helps people stand through the pain and confirm that no one is going through it alone. For example when the Sewol Ferry accident occurred, South Korea as a whole gathered and tied yellow ribbons in multiple sites. This represented people’s wish for young passengers’ safe return and provided comfort as a community. This action of sharing one memory as a group creates collective memory remembered by society.
One small action does make a change in ribbon remembrance practice. It can gather each individual as a one group.
For more information about some ribbon remembrance visit these websites!
(Yellow ribbons attached to portraits of the victims as a remembrance.)
(A girl is tying a yellow ribbon with message for missing passengers in Seoul, South Korea)
(French resident holding up a national flag with black ribbon during silence for the latest Paris attack)
Photo Credit: http://www.salemnews.com/region/the-latest-alabama-will-refuse-syrian-refugees/image_4a268333-e590-5085-a52a-1d9f92111688.html
(Participants with pink ribbon attending 2010 Revlon Walk/Run for Women)
(Actor pinned green ribbon on his outfit for plan to take on climate change)
(Students of Government Women’s College form a red ribbon in Visakhapatnam)
(Orange ribbon used to mourn for Christians murdered by ISIS)
Photo Credit: http://www.evansburgumc.com/