Messages and Meanings of the Color White
The color white projects purity, cleanliness, and neutrality. Doctors don white coats, brides traditionally wear white gowns, and a white picket fence surrounds a safe and happy home.
How the Color White Affects Us Physically
- Aids mental clarity
- Encourages us to clear clutter or obstacles
- Evokes purification of thoughts or actions
- Enables fresh beginnings
Color White Meaning Around the World
- White is the traditional color worn by brides in the western world, as well as in Japan.
- White is a color of mourning in China and parts of Africa.
- It was the custom for the Queens of France to wear deuil blanc or “white mourning”
- White was the color of deepest mourning among medieval European queens was white rather than black. This tradition survived in Spain until the end of the fifteenth century.
- In Chinese culture, colors corresponded with the five primary elements, the directions, and the four seasons. White was associated with metal, west, and autumn.
- A white flag is universally recognized as a symbol of truce.
- The Japanese have six distinct terms to define whiteness.
- The ancient Greeks wore white to bed to ensure pleasant dreams.
Religious and Mythological Associations with the Color White
- In Christianity, a white lily represents the Madonna.
- On Yom Kippur the Grand Rabbi dresses in white to restore an amiicable relationship between God and his people.
- In the Bible, white represents the color of light and is an emblem of the divine.
Political Associations with the Color White
- A person who is politically ultraconservative is sometimes referred to as white.
INTERESTING INFORMATION ABOUT WHITE
- According to Pantone Inc., white is the best selling color for the classic american t-shirt.
- More shades of white are available commercially than any other color.
- White clothing typically becomes translucent when wet.
- The appearance of white in a dream is thought to represent happiness at home. White castles are a symbol of achievement, destiny perfectly fulfilled, and spiritual perfection.
- Originally, scientists wore beige coats. In the late 19th century, medical professionals chose white ones. The color white was chosen because of the idea of hope and expectations for healing and recovery that the physicians would bring.
WHITE IN ATHLETICS AND SPORTS
Dr. Jigor Kano, founder of Judo, created divisions among students using Belt colors, in order to give students recognition for certain achievements. The white belt represents innocence, purity, and virginity of the soul and mind, just as in church the meaning of a white garment is sinless life.
Signature Color White
- White Christmas: the appearance of snow on Christmas day
- White elephant: a possession that no longer holds value for its owner See why…
- White flag: the signal of a peaceful surrender
- White goods: a description of household items, such as linens, towels, and appliances
- White hot: extreme manner of intensity
- White lie: a harmless untruth usually told out of politeness Why white instead of another color?
- White sauce: a sauce made from stock, butter, flour and seasonings
- White feather: a symbol of cowardice
- “White…is not a mere absence of colour; it is a shining and affirmative thing, as fierce as red, as definite as black…God paints in many colours; but He never paints so gorgeously, I had almost said so gaudily, as when He paints in white.” — G. K. Chesterton
- “The first of all single colors is white … We shall set down white for the representative of light, without which no color can be seen; yellow for the earth; green for water; blue for air; red for fire; and black for total darkness.” — Leonardo Da Vinci
- “ELOQUENCE, n. The art of orally persuading fools that white is the color that it appears to be. It includes the gift of making any color appear white.” — Ambrose Bierce
- “Black and white are absolute…expressing the most delicate vibration, the most profound tranquility, and unlimited profundity.” — Shiko Munakata
- “Never use pure white; it doesn’t exist in nature.” — Aldro T. Hibbard
- “The great black and white draftsman, the sculptor, and the blind man know that form and color are separate. The form itself is what the blind man knows…Color is surface skin that fits over the form.” — John Sloan
- “White covers a multitude of sins.” — Jonathan Milne
There is no question that the vehicle you drive is an extension of your personality — an unspoken but clear message to the rest of the world.
- The message you send by driving a vehicle that is White: Fastidious.– From The Color Answer Book by Leatricce Eiseman with permission
- Nights in White Satin by the Moody Blues
- White Men in Black Suits by Everclear
- White on White by Danny Williams
- White Queen (As It Began) by Queen on Queen II
- White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane on Surrealistic Pillow
- White Riot by The Clash
- White Room by Alisha’s Attic
- White Room by Cream
- White Wedding by Billy Idol
- Whiter Shade of Pale by Procol Harum
- White is considered a neutral color in landscape design. Its appearance can be used as a background for other colors.
- White can brighten up a garden and is a good choice for dark areas of a landscape.
- “Moon gardens” consist of all white flowering plants. This type of garden gives the illusion of glowing in the moonlight, making them a good choice for areas you spend time in during the evening.
- In general, white and pale flowers are more strongly scented than their darker counterparts.
- White teas are the most delicate of all teas. Great care is taken so that only the youngest leaves are used. The finest varieties are appreciated for their unmatched subtlety, complexity, and natural sweetness.
- The rich, sweet scent of French Vanilla is a strong and creamy fragrance that is great year round. It is a scent that is calming, consoling, soothing, purifying, and centering. -Scent It.com
- The strong floral scent of the Gardenia blossom has a mood-lifting and sensual appeal.
- “Coconut” was the original scent of the white colored Magic Scents Crayons from Binney & Smith Inc., introduced in 1994 with mostly food scents. However, there were numerous reports that children were eating the food-scented crayons, so the food scents were retired and replaced with non-food scents. The scent for the color white became “baby powder.”
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