Tag: mortality

Death and Mortality 2

Colours of Death and Mortality

Colours associated with death and mortality vary around world according to race, culture and religion. Please find some listed below:

RED

  • Red is the colour of mourning in South Africa

GREEN

  • In many Latin and South American cultures, green is the colour of death

BLUE

  • Blue is the colour of mourning in Korea, Mexico and Iran

BLACK

  • In many Western cultures, black is the colour of death, mourning and funerals
  • The ancient Egyptians and Romans associated black as the colour of death and mourning

WHITE

  • In many Eastern cultures, black is the colour of death, mourning and funerals
  • White is the colour of mourning in China
  • In India white is associated with funerals and widows clothing
  • In Japan a white carnation symbolizes death
  • In Korea white is associated with death
  • White is the colour of mourning in Middle East

PURPLE / VIOLET

  • In Thailand purple is associated with widows clothing
  • Purple was carried out as a mourning colour in Brazil as well, alongside black dress
  • In Catholicism purple is a colour of death, mourning and crucifixion

GREY

  • Grey is the colour of mourning in Papua New Guinea

YELLOW

  • Yellow is the colour of mourning in Egypt and Burma
  • In the Middle Ages, actors portraying the dead in a play wore yellow
  • In Spain, executioners once wore yellow

BROWN

  • Brown is the colour of mourning in India

The above list is only based on my investigations and I would be very interested to know from anyone who knows of any other colour associations with death and mortality, either currently relevent or even historically.