# Why is Green an unlucky colour? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 27, 2002, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-green-an-unlucky-colour/145244 "2002-12-27T22:22:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Theom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9a28c/32.png) [@Theom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Theom)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-green-an-unlucky-colour/145244/1 "2002-12-27T22:22:22Z")
Here is the question, why is it considered in Britain unlucky to wear green? I have done some google searches but all I seem to find are a couple of american pages claiming it is so as not to insult the faeries. This seems to me to be a trite answer and I was hoping for a more rational one along the lines of bread poltice works because mold has penicilin, get me? I was wondering, although this is my own specualtion, as to weather green denoted a rank in society, expensive dye/pigment type idea as with renaissance madonna images…any clues? ---
**Author:** ![minty\_green](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@minty\_green](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minty_green)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-green-an-unlucky-colour/145244/2 "2002-12-27T22:27:43Z")
:eek: ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-green-an-unlucky-colour/145244/3 "2002-12-27T22:27:43Z")
Well, the dye used to make bright green in colonial times (pickrik, not sure if that’s spelled right) was highly flammable and apparently it was not so uncomon in Colonial days for a lass to be permanently scarred when dress met open flame. In fact, when I was a student at William & Mary (which is located in Colonial Williamsburg, VA, a large open air museum of Colonial America) a vial of Pickrik was found in the Chemistry building and they evacuated the whole building and a 50 yard radius till it could be removed safely. ---
**Author:** ![Theom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9a28c/32.png) [@Theom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Theom)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-green-an-unlucky-colour/145244/4 "2002-12-27T22:32:59Z")
Thats interesting, however the tradition I am refering to is ancient, didn’t they use walnuts or something for dye? ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-green-an-unlucky-colour/145244/5 "2002-12-27T22:43:54Z")
According to [this](http://www.si.edu/lemelson/centerpieces/whole_cloth/u3tc/u3materials/dyenatural.html) you get light brown from walnut, but you can get forest green from chicory. Actually, I’d never heard that green was bad luck… is that a British tradition? ---
**Author:** ![Theom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9a28c/32.png) [@Theom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Theom)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-green-an-unlucky-colour/145244/6 "2002-12-27T22:46:11Z")
Very very vauge one, lots of people have never heard of it, I believe that you get it in Eire too ---
**Author:** ![Cessandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cessandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cessandra)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-green-an-unlucky-colour/145244/7 "2002-12-27T22:54:43Z")
When I was planning my wedding, I was told that green was unlucky because it attracts faeries who might be tempted to play tricks on the wedding party. Same concept as the bridesmaids getting all dressed up – they distract faeries and spirits from the bride and confuse them about who to pick on. ---
**Author:** ![Cessandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cessandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cessandra)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-green-an-unlucky-colour/145244/8 "2002-12-27T22:56:04Z")
PS, it was an Irish superstition when it was told to me. I had an Irish-themed wedding. (But I went with the green, anway.) ---
**Author:** ![Theom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9a28c/32.png) [@Theom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Theom)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-green-an-unlucky-colour/145244/9 "2002-12-27T22:59:43Z")
That sounds like what I have previously read on various webpages, It seems a little too americanised for me to believe that is the actual reason. The irish are deeply deeply catholic, the faerie explanation just doesn’t ring true… it is the kind of thing you would get in that dreadfull sequel to Gone with the wind called Scarlett. ---
**Author:** ![Cessandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cessandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cessandra)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-green-an-unlucky-colour/145244/10 "2002-12-27T23:02:55Z")
Well, it was told to me by my very Irish grandmother, who is deeply Catholic, and who is also a veritable encyclopedia of Irish and Italian superstition. (My grandfather is Italian, and also deeply Catholic.) The superstition is probably older than Catholicism is in Ireland. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-green-an-unlucky-colour/145244/11 "2002-12-27T23:17:55Z")
I was told that green is an unlucky colour for cars. Some sort of racing tradition. Of course, this ignores the green cars that _won_ races. Anyway, I was told that green race cars tend to get into crashes. As many of you know, I’d been trying to decide what colour to paint my MGB when the time comes. British Racing Green is a popular colour for them, but others have said, “No! Don’t paint the car _green!_ It’s unlucky!” So I’ve only heard of green being bad luck in connection with racing cars. (FWIW, I’ve decided to go white with a red interior on the MG – not because of “bad luck”, but to “recreate” my first car.) ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-green-an-unlucky-colour/145244/12 "2002-12-27T23:19:27Z")
I thought “Dancing Queen” was what attracted fairies to weddings…? \ \ ---
**Author:** ![senor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f8ce5/32.png) [@senor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/senor)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-green-an-unlucky-colour/145244/13 "2002-12-28T09:04:08Z")
Green is lucky for Irish, hang out in March for St. Paddy’s day (the second most important drunk holiday of the year after 12/31). Not to mention that green is the color of money, as well as nature. (the green belt, the forest etc.) When that F’ing hillbilly in Wst Virginia hit the 170 million USD after tax, I was “green” with envy. Oh well. This could be seen as negative I guess. I did see a survey one time that ranked car colors and green came in dead last. My favorite color is yellow, I love yellow, and I would have a yellow car, but most people would puke at that too. By the way, we all know that “yellow” is a term for irrational fear. SENOR ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-green-an-unlucky-colour/145244/14 "2002-12-28T12:58:27Z")
“Green Ties Mean Pink Slips.” – title of a satirical men’s fashion article from SPY, a popular NY-based humor magazine of the 1980s. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Griffin)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-green-an-unlucky-colour/145244/15 "2002-12-28T13:35:51Z")
This is interesting I remember reading a new article a few years ago where insurance companies said green cars have the highest claims. I dont think they knew why though. perhaps people who like green cars are a bit mental. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-green-an-unlucky-colour/145244/16 "2002-12-28T13:38:40Z")
I have only heard of green being unlucky for weddings (in churches) and the supposed reson was - blah balh - evil spirits, bad luck, … i,e, it seen as a non-Xian colour and not liked by church. Not sure if that adds anything at all. Oh ys, I’m in U.K. (Scotland) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Griffin)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-green-an-unlucky-colour/145244/17 "2002-12-28T13:40:23Z")
My last post should have said “news article”. ---
**Author:** ![DAVEW0071](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e19b73/32.png) [@DAVEW0071](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DAVEW0071)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-green-an-unlucky-colour/145244/18 "2002-12-28T14:34:04Z")
Apparently, **senor** is correct in the assertion that green is lucky for the Irish. The town in which I live has an enormous Irish population, and I mean people from the “auld sod” as well as those of Irish descent, and I have heard, as well as noticed, that many of them (the immigrants, for the most part) will paint the front door of their houses green. Were green a bad-luck color, I hardly think people would use it for the portal to their homes. ---
**Author:** ![TheLadyLion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d78d45/32.png) [@TheLadyLion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLadyLion)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-green-an-unlucky-colour/145244/19 "2002-12-28T19:28:58Z")
Green isn’t unlucky when it comes to M&Ms ™. ---
**Author:** ![zia\_nova](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/bc79bd/32.png) [@zia\_nova](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zia_nova)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-green-an-unlucky-colour/145244/20 "2002-12-28T22:40:58Z")
I’m in England and I’ve never heard of grren being an unlucky colour [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-green-an-unlucky-colour/145244.md?page=2)