Yellow Color Symbolism Facts & Meaning: Zodiac, Omens, Dreams, and Myths
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Yellow Color Meaning
The yellow color depicts smiley faces and bananas. It is also the color of sunflowers, corn, cheese, and egg yolk. Along with the color orange, it is another color to signify warmth and the sun. The yellow color primarily means happiness and positivity. It is a youthful color that reflects the cheerfulness and optimism of a sunny day.
Similar to the color red and orange, yellow has the ability to capture attention, too. It is the most luminous of all colors in the visible light spectrum. In combination with the color black, a bright yellow background creates an easy color to read and see even from long distances. This is often observed in traffic signs, taxi cabs, and school buses painted with yellow and black. The color is also popular with fast food companies to describe an environment filled with attributes of fun, speed, and low cost. In grocery markets, it can be seen used in tags to indicate reduced prices of products.
Bright yellows can easily capture attention which makes it immediately helpful for highlighting designs. Warm yellows can bring about natural color while neon yellows appear artificial. On the other hand, the yellow color can be off-putting and difficult to discern. It is also a color associated with children products that it is something not effective when marketing to prestigious men. In combination with most colors, the color yellow easily fades in the background, especially when placed with other light tone colors.
Commonly used to stand for caution, the yellow color can be seen as bright yellow barricade tape with the word “caution.” Construction and traffic signs using the color have been popular in nearly every country.
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Yellow Color History
The earliest in the art history of yellow can be found on a painting of a yellow horse in the Lascaux cave in France. Yellow is one of the colors used in prehistoric times where the cave painting was estimated to date over 17000 years ago. There were also researches that show ancient Egyptians to have painted their gods with the color yellow. It is believed to have been used to resemble the color of gold. The use of yellow has also been seen on ancient Egyptian tomb paintings.
Yellow was one of the first colors used in history due to the easy availability of the yellow ochre pigment. It is quite a common natural and non-toxic pigment made from clay. The ancient Egyptians also did use orpiment, an orange-yellow mineral made of arsenic but highly toxic. The color yellow was also usual on the walls of towns and villas in ancient Rome. Records of Roman mosaics and murals using yellowish gold were also found. The ancient Romans used an expensive dye made from saffron to produce yellow. In comparison to the clay pigments, it is less disposed to fading. The rich and high quality dye has also been observed in their clothing. In the 14th century, the color yellow became a color difficult to trust. It has been marked to indicate treason, jealousy, and envy. This has made the color a less popular shade.
Traditional dyes and pigments were originally made from various sources including clay, minerals, and even cow urine. The discovery and manufacturing of yellow synthetic dyes only came available in the 18th and 19th century which had rapidly replaced traditional sources and substances.
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Yellow Color Symbolism
Orange Color Positive Symbolism
Associated with a beaming display, the yellow is known to be a symbol of joy and happiness. Yellow is an attention-grabber especially in combination with the color black. Human eyes are good at recognizing yellow immediately making it hard to miss. It is a prevailing color that conveys energy and bears attention.
Yellow is considerably a positive eye-catching color used by advertisers to draw attention and inspire a bright cheerful feeling. The yellow kindles happiness that it has made itself the color of smiley faces. The cheerful and lively hue resonates at great lengths with children, making it perfect for toys and other children products. It allures with an illuminating essence. Hallmarked to trigger feelings of happiness, it has been widely popular for years with fast food restaurants.
As a symbol of happiness, it is believed that the influence of yellow is on the metaphysical level. It is a color said to deal with confidence and self-esteem. If you live in a place that feels gloomy and doesn’t get a lot of sunshine, creating a setting built on the yellow color is told to deter depression. Yellow is also a color that can inspire joy in bringing about creativity. It is an expressive color that people wear yellow to increase creativity in life.
Orange Color Negative Symbolism
Lurking behind the positive symbolism is the dark side of the color yellow. In fact, it brings a surprising number of negative associations. Negative symbolisms of yellow include cowardice, irritability, sickness, sensationalism, and lack of empathy.
As a color of caution, it also indicates mental and physical illness. The color yellow has been associated with malaria, jaundice, and pestilence. It has also been observed as a color of toxic metals and substances including lead, chrome, cadmium, and urine.
The color also signifies choleric temperament. When too much, the color yellow is often described to promote irritability and aggression. This can lead to being judgmental, short-tempered, violent, and spiteful.
Excessive yellow can be disturbing. The distracting effect can make a person lose focus and find it difficult to complete a task. It can easily overwhelm a project. While lighter yellows can deliver an enriching effect, designers usually take careful approach when using vibrant yellow. Without balance, much yellow can be critical and demanding. While lack of yellow can be distressing, rigid, anxious, and cunning.
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Yellow Color Physical and Psychological Effects
Invigorating as it is, the yellow color is believed to simulate the brain and nerves making a person more alert. It kindles mental activity. The human eye finds it easy to process the color yellow quickly considering that it is the most visible color of the spectrum. In fact, it is 2.5 times higher with peripheral vision than the color red. Compared to a white background, it has been observed that an object develops a higher chance of being remembered with a yellow background. Having a high light reflectance value, it can serve as a secondary source of light but an excessive bright yellow can be irritable to the eyes. It is considerable a shade that is most stressful to the eye.
The brain is believed to release more serotonin in a yellow colored surrounding that it has been associated with happiness and optimism for many years. The color is also known to foster the direction of thought especially during stressful situations. It is considered a non-emotional color that allows to ignore emotions in complex situations to turn any frown upside down. It allows unburdening ourselves and offers peace of mind at times of anxiety and fear. It fascinates, stimulates, and charms with ease. It also affects the left side of the brain promoting analytical and logical thinking. Yellow boosts ability in making informed decisions. It is also believed to help with memory and encourage communication.
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Yellow Favorite Color: Traits and Personality
People find yellow to be one of the least favorite color. Loving the color yellow can say a lot of things about a person. Confidence and optimism are associated with individuals who favor the color yellow. These are people who aren’t usually involved in large social gatherings and prefer a small circle of friends. Nevertheless, they are good communicators who find making friends easy.
Yellows have a high degree of independence but they are usually fun to be with and have a jolly, optimistic attitude, and cheerful disposition. They are also good in hiding their emotions and putting on a brave face even at times of difficulty. However, they can also be known to exhibit negative traits which is common especially when stressed out.
Yellows are considered to be perfectionists. They can easily become critical when expectations are not met. Some appear unforgiving on themselves and people around them. They tend to rely on themselves too much and never ask for help. Some also display short temper. They do not mind being alone. Yellow personality type also find it difficult to resist impulsive buying. A lot of their money is spent on something they do not need. They may be making money fast, but money is being spent faster.
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Yellow Color Cultural Symbolism
The color yellow means differently in different cultures. In Egypt, yellow symbolizes the eternal, imperishable, and indestructible nature. Yellow is also being worn to denote death and mourning. To keep the constant company of the sun, there have been mummified bodies decked with gold masks.
The Chinese culture symbolizes the color yellow with wisdom and glory. It has a strong historical and cultural significance in China. One includes signifying the middle direction as one of the five directions of the compass. Being once known as the Middle Kingdom, the palace of the Chinese Emperor was believed to be located precisely at center of the world. The yellow is also designated to represent the active and creative male Yang principle in the traditional Chinese symbol of the female yin and masculine yang. In the present day, adult movies are referred to as yellow movies in Chinese pop culture.
The Japanese culture symbolizes yellow to stand for courage. It is considered a sacred color that denotes sunshine, gardening, and nature. It is a common color for clothing in Japan and schoolchildren are usually advised to wear yellow caps. It allows for increased visibility and caution to promote their safety. In Japan, saying ‘yellow voice’ pertains to the high-pitched voices of children and women. While calling a person ‘yellow beak’ indicates that the individual is inexperienced.
Ancient Greeks usually describe their gods to have blonde or yellow hair. The color is also often associated with Apollo and Helios, the sun gods. Medieval Europe also consider yellow as a respected color. Today, members of the natural and physical sciences faculty in several European universities make use of yellow caps to symbolize research and reason. The term yellow has also been traditionally associated in the English language with jaundice and cowardice.
Yellow refers to crime stories in Italy, may it be fictional or real. In the 1930s, crime novels were first published with yellow covers which influenced the start of relating the color with crime. In the Middle Ages, a yellow patch was being used to label that a person is a Jew. European Jews were also forced to wear yellow or yellow “Stars of David” at the time of the Nazi era.
Yellow truly has diverse meanings around the world. It’s also used in countless different expressions. For instance, a person with a ‘yellow smile’ is cruel or mean. While someone described to have a ‘yellow eye’ means the person is diseased or ill. In Islamic countries, yellow is a powerful color that symbolizes wealth and wisdom. In India, yellow is the color of good fortune and merchants. In Russia, the term “yellow house” is used as an idiomatic expression to describe insane asylum. Bright marigold yellow is associated with death in some areas of Mexico while the color is symbolic of intellect and wealth in Brazil.
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Yellow Color Zodiac Sign
The yellow color is the zodiac color for Gemini. It is associated with the air element and masculine energy. People born under Gemini tends to have two sides to their personality. The fact that Gemini is the sign of twins, the person is able to display vibrancy and inquisitiveness. They can be sociable and never at a loss for words. The yellow color encourages a Gemini to be cheerful and energetic. Mimicking the warm color of the sun, the yellow lightens and brightens a Gemini’s spirit. It also boosts mental powers and focus that inspires an exciting, upbeat nature. This makes it a perfect fit for the quick-witted, often evolving personality of the average Gemini.
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Yellow Color Omens and Superstitions
The use of yellow gemstones is believed to influence clarity of concentration, energy, and decision making. It is also said to provide relief from exhaustion and burnout.
Diverse superstitions have been associated with the color yellow. There are traditions showing that yellow ribbons give hope for women as they wait for their husbands coming home from battle. An omen in Russia says that yellow flowers are a bad sign. It is believed to indicate separation, infidelity, or even death. A Spanish superstition says that giving saffron-colored garments brings bad luck to the receiver.
There is a Spanish legend that claims the sulfurous color of yellow is linked to black magic. Some even consider the color to be the devil himself. This makes some people today uncomfortable wearing the color yellow especially when going for a job interview, taking an examination, or performing tasks where the best of luck is mostly needed. Accounts of history with the color also claims of sailors to be very superstitious. In fact, shipwrecks and lost ships in the 1700s were attributed to bringing clusters of yellow bananas during those times.
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Yellow Color in Dreams
There can be different yellow objects in dreams and meanings of the dreams. The interpretation of the yellow color may be joy and happiness, but can also be jealousy and failure. It is a good sign when you dream of receiving or picking yellow flowers. This means you are starting fresh towards receiving new opportunities. Great experiences are coming your way. However, if you see yellow roses, it interprets to jealousy. You may be jealous of someone or some people you know are jealous of you. It may also warn of betrayal from a person close to you.
A dream of wearing yellow clothes means you like being at the center of attention. It can also mean that people do not take you seriously and usually ignore your ideas. Wearing a bright yellow clothing is interpreted that people likely find you laughable.
On the bright side, a bright yellow color in dreams is associated with wealth and power. It can be suggestive of high social status and financial success. There are different shades of yellow that occupies a special place in the interpretation of dreams. Wearing a noble golden yellow in dreams means that you live in harmony with principles. Lemon to golden color of clothing means upcoming celebrations and successful plans. Dreaming of glowing, shimmering yellow clothes warns of failure or sad events.
Dreaming of foods is also common and it is a good sign to dream of yellow foods. You may have dreamed of corn, bananas, potatoes, pears, or some other yellow food. It is recognized to mean abundance of having delicious and nutritive life. This is interpreted as an indication of energy, strength, and good health.
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Yellow Color Mythology and Folklore
Geolu, an Old English term, is believed to be which the word yellow originated from. A Greek legend says that the sun-god Helios is wearing a yellow robe and rides daily a golden chariot with four fiery horses bringing the sun across the heavens. In fact, the yellow sun was worshiped as god throughout history that it has been a vital symbol in the lives of mankind. The beaming yellow light of the sun is said to embody godly wisdom.
It is said that the yellow pigment originated from the urine of cattle in India. The cattle were only fed with mango leaves and water to ensure a yellow color. Dried urine were being collected to form into balls of yellow pigment. For over a century, it is believed to be how the yellow pigment came to be.
