Your Favorite Color and Why

I have always been partial to the color crimson. The deep, red color with tints of purple is so rich and reminds me of blood, which can be seen in violent battles so might be connected to the color of one’s enemies. People who belong to the star sign Scorpio, such as me, have always been described as a vengeful, aggressive and passionate bunch and perhaps that is the reason I am attracted to this particular color. There is also a strong possibility that this could be why I enjoy zombie films and other films that can contain extraordinary amounts of gore and spend countless hours in my kitchen trying to replicate the perfect color and consistency of blood in order to recreate it for makeup purposes.

Whatever the reason may be, the variation of red, crimson, has always been somewhat a fascination of mine. Actually, anything that can fall under the specific category of carmine has always been rather beautiful. The color red and anything that falls under it can be thought of as a powerful color. Due to this, when we actually look at the color red it tends to stand out the most in comparison to other colors. This could be due to its brightness and intensity. This is the reason red, or some variation of it, is used in objects such as traffic signs and other warning signs. It’s a startling color that attracts the eye and forces us to look at it clearly.

It is due to this that most restaurants use red in their logos or design. If you look at most fast food restaurants, the color red plays quite a dominant role in their overall scheme. Why is that, you ask? It’s simple, really. The color red stimulates appetite. When you see the red of a McDonalds sign or the red in KFC, your appetite increases and you find yourself craving certain foods without really knowing the reason why. Can you think of how many times this has occurred to you?

Red also plays a part in certain cultures around the world. In China, red is seen as the color that represents luck. In traditional times, it was worn by brides or the bridal party in order to signify a fruitful marriage. Nearby, in India, the color red is still worn, even to this day, by blushing brides and grooms. To that culture, it represents purity.

The color red can invoke so many emotions it is hard to encompass them in just one word. It can stimulate passion like the color of a red rose. It can also be powerful and aggressive like that of a matador’s cape taunting a bull. It can also represent danger, in the sense of a warning sign at a factory or chemical plant. Red has so many facets and meanings and I find all of them to be equally fascinating.

What is your favorite color? If you are the same as me and like red, why is that? Is it for the reasons above?

Evalyn

Vocabulary

carmine (n) – a deep, rich color of red
scheme (n) – a systematic and organized design
invoke (v) – to bring about or cause
encompass (v) – to include completely
taunt (v) – to tease or mock