When you think about Love what color comes to mind?
Typically in the Caribbean and the Western World, the colors used to represent Love are Red and Pink. The color Red connotes excitement, energy, passion, love, and desire all things intense and passionate. Whilst, the color Pink is a softer hue symbolizing love and romance, caring, tenderness, acceptance and calm.
Let’s take a peek at color meaning in African culture. Note, there is no one African culture, since Africa is a continent comprising fifty-four (54) countries with numerous ethnic groups within each country. Furthermore, each ethnic group has its own particular culture, language, and traditions.
What color represents Love in West Africa ?
For the Akan people of southern Ghana, the color Red represents sacrificial rites, bloodshed and death, but also spiritual and political moods. So what color represents Love ?? It’s BLUE ! The color Blue represents love, harmony, togetherness and peace.
Fun fact: Despite the color representing Love is Blue, Valentine’s Day is still a celebration with red roses, and chocolates in Ghana. With an effort to boost the country’s economy, Ghana has celebrated Valentine’s Day as National Chocolate Day since 2007, to promote the consumption of chocolate and other cocoa products among the population.
Is there any difference in East Africa ?
In East Africa, for the Maasai Tribe of Kenya and Tanzania, Red is the most important color representing danger, courage, bravery, and strength. The Maasai also believe that red scares off predators like lions even at long distances. Red represents unity within the Maasai culture because livestock are slaughtered when communities come together in celebration.
For Valentine’s Day, the color Red takes on another meaning as rose flowers and the colour red also known as the colour of passion dominates the streets of Nairobi, Kenya. One Kenyan, John Mungai, a florist in Kenya’s city market says that Kenya flowers are the best even in the region.
So, I think it’s safe to say the Worldwide color for love, if only for one day, on Valentine’s Day is Red.
Source:
https://prezi.com/ymvjcncbsjaj/the-massai-tribe-of-kenya-colors-and-their-meanings/
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