What are the luckiest colours around the world? In cultures and countries all over the world, there are many examples of different numbers, symbols, animals and even colours that supposedly bring good luck.
Colours can invoke a lot of emotions, thoughts and feelings, which is why they’re so important when it comes to design and art.
In many cultures, some colours may also be associated with good or even bad luck. For anyone who’s superstitious, it might be a good idea to take note of these, but even if you’re only a little superstitious, it’s still fun to talk about lucky charms and colours.
As a result, we’ve made a list of some of the best examples of colours that are said to be lucky, along with some potentially unlucky colours that you might want to avoid.
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Lucky Colours
Red
The most common associations with the colour red are love, passion, and fire. This is usually how the colour is portrayed across North America, South America, and Europe. For example, Valentine’s Day, the day of lovers and romance, is marked by red hearts, which represent love.
In the Eastern part of the world, however, red is seen slightly differently. Here, the colour red is used as a sign of fertility and good fortune.
For example, if you’re in China during their New Year’s celebrations, you might receive a red envelope from a friend or relative. These are passed out each year and are said to bring good luck.
China also uses the colour red during weddings, and the symbolism behind the colour is said to come from the fact that a half-dragon, half-unicorn monster known as Nian is scared of the colour.
Green
In Ireland, the UK and the United States, green is often associated with good luck and good fortune.
The association comes from the traditional “luck of the Irish”, which is often paired with an image of a four-leafed clover. The clover is a small green plant that typically has three leaves but will very rarely grow a fourth. Those who find a four-leafed clover are said to be extremely lucky.
The colour green is also considered lucky in the Middle East. Green is considered a sacred colour in Islam and is the colour of the prophet Muhammad as well as “The Green One”, a popular saint.
The Green One is thought to bring good luck, especially to those travelling by sea.
Blue
When we think of blue, the first thing that springs to mind is either the sea or the sky. One of the explanations behind it is that it is partially connected to freedom.
Blue is commonly associated with serenity, peace, authority and wisdom. It’s often considered the safest colour in many cultures, as it also represents trust, safety, and cleanliness.
This comes from the fact that blue water would usually be safe to drink as it contains fewer contaminants.
Not every country has the same opinion of blue, however.
- In Korea, dark shades of blue are used to indicate mourning, and in India, the god Krishna has blue skin.
- In the US, the colour blue is also often associated with sadness. “I’m feeling blue” is used to denote loneliness or feeling down, and the blues is a genre of music that was originally intended to capture the feeling of suffering and hopelessness endured by slaves.
Yellow
Yellow is a bright and optimistic colour that is strongly reminiscent of the sun or flowers. As a result, it tends to be used to symbolise hope, new life or springtime.
Most cultures around the world have a similar view of the colour yellow, but it can also be used to signify hazards, especially when paired with the colour black for maximum contrast.
In Thailand, wearing certain colours on particular days is thought to bring good luck. For example, red on Sunday and green on Wednesday.
Yellow is especially lucky because it is the country’s royal colour and is worn on Mondays. In fact, many Thai people will wear yellow throughout the first week of December to honour the King’s birthday, which falls on December 5th.
Orange
Orange is fairly similar to yellow, only brighter and therefore carries some of the same meanings in many cultures. It’s associated with the sun, cheerfulness, positivity, happiness, fun and good health.
In most cultures, it’s not really associated with luck, but things are slightly different in India. For Indians, there is no colour considered more sacred, especially the specific shade of orange associated with Saffron.
Indian culture places a lot of importance on the colour orange, and it’s often used in celebrations and festivities of all kinds. The colour supposedly symbolises Agni, the Hindu god of fire and divine knowledge.
Unlucky Colours
White
White is a colour associated with purity, innocence, cleanliness, freshness and simplicity.
For some people, white may also represent a new beginning or a fresh start, and this is true of most cultures. In the western world, wedding dresses are usually white, and the colour is also for lab coats and as a common colour for painting walls.
Although white is commonly used for all sorts of different reasons, it’s generally considered an unlucky colour in China. While we use white for weddings, Chine traditionally uses this colour for funerals, and as a result, the colour is seen as very unlucky and strongly associated with death.
Black
Black is an interesting colour (but shouldn’t be considered a colour) because it’s caused by the absence of light.
It’s often associated with luxury, elegance and sophistication, but it also has strong ties to evil, mourning and misfortune. In many Western cultures, a black cat is seen as a sign of bad luck as these were thought to be the pets of witches.
Some other cultures, such as tribes in Nigeria and people living in Tibet, associate the colour black with demons and spirits as well as the devil himself.
While black isn’t unlucky for everyone, it makes sense for a colour so dark to have such ominous overtones. The colour invokes a sense of mystery, and it can be used by those who are trying to hide in the shadows.
Purple
Purple is a colour typically used to denote royalty, prosperity, spirituality, and grandeur all throughout the world. Only the highest-ranking Buddhist monks were permitted to wear purple, according to Japanese tradition.
In most countries, purple was used by royalty because, throughout history, purple dyes were the rarest and most expensive. While it’s much cheaper and easier to buy purple clothes these days, it’s still associated more with wealth and prosperity.
Purple is a mourning colour in both Brazil and Thailand. As a result, it’s worn by people in mourning and is considered unlucky in other cases. Someone wearing purple outside of a funeral could be bringing bad luck on themselves or even their family.
FAQ
What is the colour of good luck?
The colour associated with good luck changes depending on which culture you’re from. In China, red is strongly associated with good luck, while for some other countries and cultures, it’s orange, yellow or even green. The reality is that colours don’t have any kind of impact on whether you’re lucky or unlucky, but if we believe they do, it’s possible to experience confirmation bias.
Which colour or colours are associated with good luck?
That depends on which culture you’re from, as different places associate different things to certain colours. In the UK, Ireland and the US, green is often considered to be a lucky colour because of its association with four-leafed clovers and leprechauns. In China, red is thought to bring good fortune because it helps to scare away a monster. In Thailand, the luckiest colour is yellow because it’s considered the King’s colour, while in India, orange is thought to bring good luck.
Which colours are associated with bad luck?
Whether a colour brings bad luck or not is a matter of perspective and will change a lot depending on where you live. In many cultures, black is thought to be unlucky and black cats, in particular, are said to bring bad luck to anyone that crosses their path. In China, white is generally seen as unlucky, while Brazil and Thailand consider purple to be a colour that can bring about misfortune to anyone who uses it outside of a funeral.
What is luck?
Luck is success that is brought about through random chance rather than skill. Games such as bingo are determined by luck, and while some people claim that you can win more by using the most called numbers, the outcome is always completely random. We cannot influence our luck, but we can change our perspective of luck by reacting differently to good fortune and bad luck.
