All About the Color RED

INTRODUCING RED
Red has more personal associations than any other color. Recognized as a stimulant, red is inherently exciting and the amount of red is directly related to the level of energy perceived. Red draws attention and a keen use of red as an accent can immediately focus attention on a particular element.

HOW THE COLOR RED AFFECTS US
Increases enthusiasm
Stimulates energy and can increase the blood pressure, respiration, heartbeat, and pulse rate
Encourages action and confidence
Provides a sense of protection from fears and anxiety

RED AROUND THE GLOBE
Red represents beauty in many languages and cultures, including Russia.
In Chinese culture, colors corresponded with the five primary elements, the directions and the four seasons. Red was associated with fire, south, and summer.
In Japan, the color red is associated closely with a few deities in Shinto and Buddhist traditions, so statues of these deities are often decked in red clothing or painted red.
In Sweden, Falun red (red based on the pigment from the Falun mine) was reserved for the privelaged class.
In China, red is associated with good luck and fortune.
In Greece, Easter eggs are dyed red and the Greek expression "piase kokkino" ("touch red") is said when two people say the same thing at the same time. It is believed that such an occurrence is an omen that the two will have an argument in the future, which can only be broken when the two touch the closest thing that is red.
In Jamaica, a popular slang term for someone who is under the influence or drunk is "red."
In England, red phone booths and red double decker buses are national icons. Standard British pillar boxes (mail boxes) have been painted red since 1874.
In India, a red mark on the forehead is said to bring good luck.
To the Hindu, red symbolizes joy, life, energy, and creativity.
Islamic, Hindu, and Chinese brides traditionally wear red.
Cochineal red, discovered by the Aztecs, was made using the female cochineal beetle. A pound of water-soluble extract required about a million insects. For the Aztecs, Indian red dye was considered more valuable than gold! However, it was the Spaniards who introduced the crimson color of Cochineal red to Europe in the 1500s.
In Aztec culture, red was connected with blood.
Red amulets were worn in many cultures to prolong life.
In Singapore, the color red traditionally symbolizes joy.
Chinese New Year is celebrated by wearing red clothing and decorating the house with red. Red envelopes with "luck money" are given to unmarried children to bring good fortune to them for the rest of the year.
In Israel, kosher clothing stores banned the color red and sell only loose-fiting apparel for women.
The belief in the protective power of the color red can be traced back to the old Chinese folklore of the Nian, a man-eating beast of ancient China who used to feed on human flesh. Discovering that the creature abhorred loud noises and the color red, the people made liberal use of the color not only in their firecrackers, but also in home decorations and clothing to protect themselves from the Nian.