or green, for that matter
The superstition that green is an unlucky colour which might bring misfortune to one who wears it is based on the ancient belief that green was the fairies’ colour. They treasured it and would resent anyone else using it. This would amount to a misappropriation of their monopoly rights. Their hostility roused, they would be determined to punish the offender.
Actors are known to be superstitious. The very uncertainty of their profession makes them so. Does not the success or failure of a performance depend only too often on irrational imponderables? It is no wonder therefore that they shun the colour green, though paradoxically they relax in a “green room.” Using green, they, too, would become the target of the possessive little gnomes.
In the case of the theatre there was an additional, practical reason to avoid green. To begin with, plays were enacted on lawns in the open. An actor wearing anything green certainly would not stand out. Even when eventually performances were held on an indoor stage, the force of tradition made producers adopt for its floor covering the green lawn colour.
Another development rendered the wearing of green even less suitable. The original limelight was of a greenish colour. If focused on an actor who wore green, it would make him look insipid. Thus green, the luscious colour of the fertile earth became shunned, if not feared, both in daily life and in the theatre.
Taken From: Webster’s World Encyclopædia - 1997. Published by Webster Publishing, 1997. Copyright Webster Publishing, and/or contributors.
Green is held unlucky to particular clans and counties of Scotland. The Caithness men look on it as fatal, because their bands were clad in green at the battle of Flodden. It is disliked by all who bear the name of Ogilvy, and is especially unlucky to the Grahame clan. One day, an aged man of that name was thrown from his horse in a fox chase, and he accounted for the accident from his having a green lash to his riding whip.* (From Authors - Collection at Bartleby.com)*
Death, decay, and evil
Green is also known to have signified witchcraft, devilry and evil for its association with faeries and spirits of early English folklore. It also had an association with decay and toxicity. Actor Bela Lugosi wore green-hued makeup for the role of Dracula in the 1927–28 Broadway stage production. A green tinge in the skin is sometimes associated with nausea and sickness. A physically ill person is said to look green around the gills. The colour, when combined with gold, is seen as representing the fading of youth. In the Celtic tradition, green was avoided in clothing for its superstitious association with misfortune and death.
Green is thought to be an unlucky colour in British and British-derived cultures, where green cars, wedding dresses, and theatre costumes are all the objects of superstition. Spider-Man villains were often coloured green to represent a contrast to the hero’s red. In some Far East cultures the colour green is often used as a symbol of sickness and/or nausea. -* Wikipedia*
And besides, my late Mum said it was unlucky and she was Irish. So there!
Zombies often turn green due to their rotting, moldy flesh.
In the Halls at Narrow Water, there is a room from which all the chairs have been removed, in order to stop people staying too long in there. The reason is the Paris Green paint on the walls, which was made from arsenic. The walls were painted about 200 years ago with a beautiful scene, very much worth seeing, but considered dangerous in long or multiple doses.
In the village surrounding there are bright red and blue doors, but it’s palpably strange, if you have been in Ireland before, to realize that there are no green doors or walls anywhere around.
On my last visit, in 2004, that was just beginning to change.
Because
They’re hanging men and women for the wearin’ o’ the green.
That would have been picric acid. It’s not so much that it’s flammable (which it is), but that it forms shock-sensitive crystals when dry. Even a little bump or friction will BOOM.
I never knew it used to be used for dying, but googling around I’m amused to note instructions like this which dissolves picric acid in water, then adds sulfuric acid to an acidulous taste, before adding indigo dye. Reminds me of my crazy old Organic professor who used to tell us how each new organic compound tasted.
I assume the paint is dry, is it really that dangerous if you don’t touch the walls?
It degrades into arsine gas. Mind you, I’ve never seen any study that shows it continues to do so after 200 years, but I suppose that as long as it looks green the chemical components are still there.
The real point, which I failed to make, was that once the problem became known, and was reported around the town, it devolved into a local belief that all green paint was dangerous. It is only now beginning to be trusted again, and there are still Grandparents in the area who will cry and beg you not to use it.
Since this is old, I’m holding a sleeping baby, and off-topic anyway, I’m not going to find an awesome cite. But I remember from art classes that another green pigment, perhaps real Viridian Green, was beautiful, and poisonous as well as very fugitive. Meaning, that it looked great when painted, but 20 years later turned black due to chrome (or something) getting oxidized. IIRC, the great illustrators of the Edwardian era liked to use this paint a lot, but it all looks like crud now.
If I find an example later, I’ll post it.
As for unlucky in church or weddings, green is a liturgical color for Catholics and Orthodox. Don’t know about the former, but Orthodox clergy (and some church furnishings) wear green and gold vestments for Palm Sunday and a few other scattered holidays. It’s very pretty, I think. And I bought my sister a hunter-green gown when she was my maid of honor.
In the German-speaking world, green is considered a lucky colour.
I have never heard of this and a straw poll of my co-workers confirms that they have never heard of it either.
Is this really a thing?
I’m a 61 year old English native and have never heard of this either.
Some ‘unlucky’ superstitions I have heard of over here are:
- 13
- 666
- breaking a mirror
- walking under a ladder
- seeing a black cat
and of course we all know not to:
- eat yellow snow
- spit into the wind
- tug on Superman’s cape
I am born and brought up in England. My Grandmother who lived for 94 years would NEVER EVER wear the colour green because she said it was bad luck. I had never thought about it until now, we just accepted it as part of her. Everyone else wore green with no problems, and I have never heard of it being a general bad luck superstition before, unlike the others we have in this country.
You think wearing it is unlucky? You should try being green…
It isn’t easy
After a while a lot of zombies turn green.
I don’t understand why the color for British Motor Racing would be green if they think it’s bad luck. If they weren’t very successful in motor racing then maybe it is bad luck, but it doesn’t seem like a very good choice of color if that’s the case.
It’s because (a) not everyone’s superstitious, and (b) the belief that green is unlucky isn’t universal even among those who are.
The idea that green is unlucky isn’t one of the better-known superstitions: it’s wide-spread, and seemingly old, but I think there are many more people that have heard of it, than actually believe it – and no shortage of people who’ve never even heard of it.
Interesting. I’ve never heard of green as unlucky but growing up in NZ as a boy, my mother insisted green was a Roman Catholic colour and thus we Presbyterians would have nothing to do with it. My father wasn’t even allowed to buy a green car he rather liked.
It did seem to me at the time that Catholic churches and houses often had green roofs whereas the predominant Protestant colour was red. Or orange if ye were an Ulstermun.
I think you might referring to Scheele’s Green, which is a chemical relative of the Paris Green already mentioned. Both contain arsenic compounds.
How times have changed.
My wife’s company was bought out by the Spanish megacorp Iberdrola. Their color is green. All logos and promotional material must be in Iberdrola green or other compatible shades if more than one green is needed.
And, yes, there are Iberdrola green ties that no senior executive would be seen in public without. Here’s the CEOwearing one.
