Friday 25 March 2011

Eastern and African traditions

In China, red (simplified Chinese: 红; traditional Chinese: 紅; pinyin: hóng) is the symbol of fire and the south (both south in general and Southern China specifically). It carries a largely positive connotation, being associated with courage, loyalty, honor, success, fortune, fertility, happiness, passion, and summer.[52][53] In Chinese cultural traditions, red is associated with weddings (where brides traditionally wear red dresses) and red paper is also frequently used to wrap gifts of money or other things. Special red packets (simplified Chinese: 红包; traditional Chinese: 紅包; pinyin: hóng bāo) in Mandarin or lai see in Cantonese are specifically used during the Chinese New Year to give monetary gifts. On the more negative side, obituaries are traditionally written in red ink, and to write someone's name in red signals either cutting them out of your life, or that they have died.[53] Red is also associated with both the feminine and the masculine (yin and yang respectively), depending on the source.[53][54]

In Japan, red is a traditional color for a heroic figure.[55] In the Indian Sub-continent, red is the traditional color of bridal dresses, and is frequently represented in the media as a symbolic color for married women. The color is associated with purity, sexuality in marriage relationships through its connection to heat and fertility.[56] It is also the color of wealth, beauty, and the goddess Lakshmi.[44]

In Central Africa, Ndembu warriors rub themselves with red during celebrations. Since their culture sees the color as a symbol of life and health, sick people are also painted with it. Like most Central African cultures, the Ndembu see red as ambivalent, better than black, but not as good as white.[57] In other parts of Africa, however, red is a color of mourning, representing death.[58] Because of the connection red bears with death in many parts of Africa, the Red Cross has changed its colors to green and white in parts of the continent

No comments:

Post a Comment