# Holidays and their associated colors. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 12, 2007, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-and-their-associated-colors/429782 "2007-12-12T22:32:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-and-their-associated-colors/429782/1 "2007-12-12T22:32:48Z")
A number of holidays have colors associated with them. Where do those colors come from? Christmas - Red/Green Valentine’s Day - Red St Patrick’s Day - Green US Independence Day - Red/White/Blue - ok, this one I can figure out. Halloween - Orange and Black Thanksgiving - Orange/Red/Brown - My best guess is fall/harvest colors. Is there more to it? Hanukkah - Blue/White And some holidays that don’t have strong color associations. New Years (maybe silver) Easter ---
**Author:** ![Lionne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-and-their-associated-colors/429782/2 "2007-12-12T22:39:39Z")
\*\*Christmas - Red/Green \*\* Trees are green, santa is red. Red chimneys, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, red poinsettas… \*\*Valentine’s Day - Red \*\* It’s all about love and hearts…which are red \*\*St Patrick’s Day - Green \*\* 4-leaf clovers, leprechauns…all green. Ireland is associated with green…it’s a very lush country. \*\*Halloween - Orange and Black \*\* Black cats, bats…witches are usually dressed in black. Pumpkins are orange. It all seems pretty natural…pick colors that go with whatever you’re celebrating. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-and-their-associated-colors/429782/3 "2007-12-12T23:47:37Z")
I don’t think that New Years has specific colors, although silver and black look very formal and might be used for that reason. Gold could be included for the same reason. Easter is pastels. Any pastels. Maybe a preference for yellow as background. And fake green grass. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-and-their-associated-colors/429782/4 "2007-12-12T23:52:57Z")
I too wondered why blue was associated with Hanukkah. I saw Hanukkah cookies in the grocery store the other day and they were decorated with blue sprinkles. ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2007, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-and-their-associated-colors/429782/5 "2007-12-13T00:00:54Z")
[QUOTE=Lionne] \*\*Christmas - Red/Green \*\* Trees are green, santa is red. Red chimneys, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, red poinsettas… [/QUOTE] I know Santa is red, but why? It’s not as if some Santa guy showed up in his signature red suit, and the color stuck. Red poinsettas, picked because red was already associated with Christmas, not the other way around. These color choices came from someplace. Christmas isn’t red/green because those are the colors of Christmas. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2007, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-and-their-associated-colors/429782/6 "2007-12-13T00:36:46Z")
Isn’t Easter yellow and purple? Because, that’s what was left after all the other holidays picked? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2007, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-and-their-associated-colors/429782/7 "2007-12-13T00:41:28Z")
[QUOTE=Khadaji] I too wondered why blue was associated with Hanukkah. I saw Hanukkah cookies in the grocery store the other day and they were decorated with blue sprinkles. [/QUOTE] I’ve always assumed it was an association with the Israeli flag, which is blue and white. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2007, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-and-their-associated-colors/429782/8 "2007-12-13T00:48:29Z")
Christmas also has holly associated, which is red and green. I’m pretty sure that goes back to pagan days. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2007, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-and-their-associated-colors/429782/9 "2007-12-13T00:55:45Z")
[QUOTE=Tastes of Chocolate] I know Santa is red, but why? [/QUOTE] The character is a folk derivation from [St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra](http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintn01.htm). Purplish-red ecclesiastical robe gradually evolves in popular culture of various European nations to Father Christmas/Santa’s red winter coat. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2007, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-and-their-associated-colors/429782/10 "2007-12-13T01:07:10Z")
Missed Edit Window: Re: St. Nick – which is not to say that other extant pagan or folk-story derived imagery of Old Man Winter would not have influenced the form that his transformation took. But still in much of the Germanic nations, it is the Saint as such, rather than the jolly old elf, who is the purported bringer of gifts. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2007, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-and-their-associated-colors/429782/11 "2007-12-13T01:24:06Z")
For Christmas the colors are associated with [green](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green#In_human_culture) evergreen trees, and Holly. I think also the older symbolism for [red](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red) features in as well, also green. For [Saint Valentine’s Day](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Valentine), the red color is for the blood the Saint shed out of love for others, and the courage he showed in continuing to practice his ministry in the face of death. Countries choose the color of their [flags](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flags#Shape_and_design) based on the symbolism of the colors, reading about [Heraldry](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heraldry) can explain some of the color symbolisms. ---
**Author:** ![Pss13](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/97f17d/32.png) [@Pss13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pss13)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-and-their-associated-colors/429782/12 "2014-04-13T15:03:26Z")
Firstly thanks to **twickster** , you were right about the blue & white association with Chanukah and the Israeli flag way back in the day, however there are a ton of other colors used with menorahs, candles, obviously gifts come in all colors lol 🙂 , wrapping oaper, tissue paper, and even Hanukkah ribbon n dreydels, clothes etc. Secondly **@ Khadaji** and anyone else interested I read a lot of interesting comments about both Valentine’s Day and Christmas, and while some are myths or adopted by society, some were spot on. The earliest information I’d found on Christmas while looking for info regarding a different, more secular holiday is that red & green actually dates back to the Middle Ages when red apples were hung on wintergreen trees. The red apples were used to symbolize the biblical Forbidden Fruit. As far as Valentine’s Day, it first became known as a Christian holiday for martyrs most famous of which was, St. Valentine who was imprisoned by the Emperor Claudius for was performing marriages for soldiers who were forbidden to marry, but even more offensively to Claudius encouraging them to marry in the church which Claudius had persecuted. Red became associated with this holiday and it’s martyrdom because of it’s longtime association with bloodshed, violence, and political change. Most of this information is quoted or paraphrased from an article that I’ll paste both the title and web address to below, as well as two others I read online about St. Valentine and Claudius which was more historical read, and a few forum type postings I’d read about holidays. The article below that i mentioned, has some neat factual information and the most detail of what I’ve read thus far, mentions interesting associations as well as conclusions if anyone’s interested; it goes over a few of the most popular and widely practiced holidays. Ask Anna: Why are specific colors associated with certain holidays? - Sociology of Style | Sociology of Style [http://sociologyofstyle.com/ask-anna-why-are-specific-colors-associated-with-certain-holidays/](http://sociologyofstyle.com/ask-anna-why-are-specific-colors-associated-with-certain-holidays/) ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-and-their-associated-colors/429782/13 "2014-04-13T16:16:21Z")
> [@Lionne](#): > > \*\*Christmas - Red/Green \*\* > Trees are green, santa is red. Red chimneys, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, red poinsettas… > \*\*Valentine’s Day - Red \*\* > It’s all about love and hearts…which are red > \*\*St Patrick’s Day - Green \*\* > 4-leaf clovers, leprechauns…all green. Ireland is associated with green…it’s a very lush country. > \*\*Halloween - Orange and Black \*\* > Black cats, bats…witches are usually dressed in black. Pumpkins are orange. > > It all seems pretty natural…pick colors that go with whatever you’re celebrating. A few misperceptions here. Rudolph was not created until about 1950, long long after most other Christmas traditions were well established. The Irish Shamrock has only three leaves. The four leaf clover relates to a completely different and unrelated superstition. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-and-their-associated-colors/429782/14 "2014-04-13T16:34:30Z")
Does the blue/white association with Israel and Chanukkah go back any farther than 1948 when modern Israel was created? Were those colors used by the Zionist movement, which goes back to the mid-19th century? Were those colors historically associated with Jews or Israel long before that? ---
**Author:** ![Foggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foggy/32/1082_2.png) [@Foggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foggy)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-and-their-associated-colors/429782/15 "2014-04-13T17:08:07Z")
This is a colorful zombie from 6 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-and-their-associated-colors/429782/16 "2014-04-13T18:05:36Z")
Interestingly (to me!), I was thinking about starting a thread about colors for holidays. I have a coffee table with removable tiles, and want to get a bunch of replacement tiles in various colors so I can put little holiday flare in the room. Thanks for thinking of my future needs, Dopers of 2007. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-and-their-associated-colors/429782/17 "2014-04-13T18:11:56Z")
Blue and white were used for the Zionist movement since 1891. But they were chosen BECAUSE [the tallit is blue and white, under orders from God in the Torah.](http://mentalfloss.com/article/31820/why-are-blue-and-white-hanukkah-colors) ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2014, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-and-their-associated-colors/429782/18 "2014-04-14T01:05:41Z")
> [@ZenBeam](#): > > Isn’t Easter yellow and purple? Because, that’s what was left after all the other holidays picked? 😉 That’s what I learned - well, not for that reason. But I think of purple and yellow as the Easter colors. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2014, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-and-their-associated-colors/429782/19 "2014-04-14T01:25:41Z")
Poinsettias are associated with Christmas not because they’re red and green, but because they bloom around Christmas time. At least, in the areas where they grow, which does not include most of the US. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2014, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-and-their-associated-colors/429782/20 "2014-04-14T02:18:40Z")
Christmas occurs very near the Winter Solstice at a time when Northern Europe is covered in white snow with bare-limbed trees showing mostly grey with black and brown. Since winter festivals, (Christmas included), are a celebration of hope for returning life, green plants, (evergreens), and bright berries (red) are significant icons. Once those colors were established, then Ambassador Poinsett, returning from Mexico with plants that displayed bright red bracts against their green leaves, (when kept as house plants), through the winter, provided another ornament for Christmas decorators who already used evergreens, holly berries, and cranberries. Santa’s suit was not particularly red until he was “standardized” in the 20th century. British “Father Christmas” and American “Santa Claus” are each displayed both with red cloaks or coats and in natural colored furs for many years, giving way to only red in the 20th century. In each case, they are following on the already established tradition of red as a Christmas color that is taken from the berries. (They are also probably borrowing somewhat from the Dutch “Sinterklaas,” more generally shown in red, but also is shown more in ecclesiastical garb.) As noted, St. Patrick is associated with a three-leaf shamrock, not a four-leaf clover. Green has been associated with Ireland for a long while. In the mid-17th century, much of Ireland briefly succeeded in forming a confederacy against English rule and used a flag bearing a Gold Harp on a field of Green–based on the flag of the Province of Leinster which includes Dublin and much of the more populated East Cost. Subsequent attempts at revolt continued to use green symbolism to promote Irish nationalism. Irish immigrants to the U.S., thumbing their nose at Britain from the left side of the Atlantic, made green a big deal and it came to be associated with their public holiday, St. Patrick’s Day, (not to be confused with the quieter religious celebration of the Feast of St. Patrick that occurs in Ireland). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-and-their-associated-colors/429782.md?page=2)