When representing love, the color red is a popular choice. This is why this shade is often used when celebrating romantic occasions such as Valentine’s Day, and red flowers are most often gifted to a romantic partner.
However, there are some claims that red should not be the color of love, and instead, it should be green, pink, or purple.
Perhaps because love itself is very complex, it is quite difficult to pin one specific color to represent everything that it entails. Love is a subjective experience, and comes in many forms.
Different colors are used to represent different types of love, and sometimes the choice of color may also be based on personal preference, just as love is a subjective experience.
Some colors represent love only in specific cultures, such as orange for China and Japan, and blue in India. But there are colors that are more generally accepted around the world and are used to represent love in its various forms.
Colors of Love
1. Red (Romantic Love)
Red is perhaps the most popular representation of love that is of the romantic and passionate type. This is because red is the color of blood, which symbolizes excitement, passion, and sexuality.
Blood also runs through the heart, which is the human organ associated with feelings of love because of the increased heartbeat and racing pulses that people experience when in love.
This is why romantic love is often symbolized by a red heart.
Research has shown that red color has psychological and physiological effects on the body that are related to love and romance. People who wear red are seen as more attractive and sexually desirable.
This is believed to be a biological conditioning in men and women as a result of the instinct to mate and procreate.
When females ovulate, their body releases more estrogen and progesterone, which then sends a sexual signal to the males. During this time, females experience increased blood flow, giving them a flushed and reddish tint on their skin. Thus, males have been conditioned to interpret flushed skin as a sign of sexual arousal and attraction.
2. Green (Nurturing Love)
Some people are of the opinion that the color of love is actually green. However, the love that this shade represents is not the romantic type, but rather a more nurturing, holistic kind.
Because green is more closely associated with nature, growth, and renewal, the kind of love that goes with it is essentially the same.
Green represents the love that exists between people who support and nurture each other, and help each other become the best version of themselves.
It is the caring and sacrificial type of love that exists between friends or close relatives. It can also be the love between a pet and its owner, or between people and the planet.
Aside from this, green is also the color of the heart chakra in Hinduism. Chakras are the energy points of the body that are found along the spine and are connected to certain key organs of the body, according to the Hindus.
The heart chakra, also called anahata, is found in the middle of the seven primary chakras, and represents one’s capacity for love, affection, understanding, and sympathy.
3. Pink (Compassionat Love)
The compassionate and unconditional kind of love is represented by the pink color. It is a soft and feminine color that adequately expresses the nurturing nature of this type of love.
In a sense, it is like the fiery heat of passionate love represented by red, but tempered by the purity and gentleness brought about by the white shade.
Pink is a welcoming shade that gives off a feeling of warmth, comfort, and tenderness, like being wrapped in the arms of a caring friend or loved one.
It seeks respect, admiration, and acceptance, like a child looking to his parents for acknowledgment.
Another type of love that can be represented by pink is self-love. It is a sweet and fun-loving color, reminiscent of fun and innocent times spent during a person’s younger years.
Pink also signifies peace and contentment, which signifies full acceptance of one’s self, faults and all.
4. Purple (Loyal & Selfless Love)
Purple is more commonly associated with wealth and royalty, but to a certain extent, it can also be used to signify love.
It is a shade that is also associated with dreams and fantasy, so in the language of love, it is the more flamboyant yet selfless type. It stands for the kind of love that is proud, dramatic, whimsical, sensitive, and extravagant all at the same time.
Though this kind of love may seem to be larger than life, it is not mean or selfish. Instead, it is a giving kind of love, one that always wants to make other people happy.
Purple represents love that puts others before self, one that exhibits steadfast loyalty and courage. This is why it is also sometimes used to symbolize love of country, such as the military recognition granted to US soldiers who were wounded or killed in action, called the Purple Heart award.
FAQ: The Different Kinds Of Love
While people would often think of love in a romantic sense, this is not the only kind of love that exists. While all these can be called love, the degree and depth of commitment and affection in each relationship are not on the same level. The Greeks have categorized love into seven different types:
- Eros is love that involves passion and sexual attraction
- Philia is the kind that exists between friends, and in modern terms is best described as mutual care and affection
- Storge is based on association, familiarity, and inter-dependency, such as the love of parents for their children and vice versa.
- Agape is the all-inclusive kind, driven by goodwill, compassion, and faith, like one’s love for nature or for God.
- Ludus is the casual type, based on the need for fun, excitement, and conquest. It is playful, flirty, and does not require reciprocity.
- Pragma is a logical kind of love, based on self-interest and benefit.
- Philauia is the love for self, which also translates to self-esteem or self-confidence.
But no matter the type, love can affect people physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Being close to someone or something you love would cause your body to release hormones called dopamine, which triggers feelings of happiness and contentment.
You may also notice that your heartbeat increases, and you feel more energized. That is because your body also produces more of chemical norepinephrine when you experience love.
Conclusion
Love is a complicated emotion that comes in many forms, shapes, and sizes. The nature of each kind of love varies greatly from another, which is why each one is also represented by a different color. The color you choose to use would depend on the kind of love you want to express.
However, at its core, love is still a subjective experience and only the people involved can tell for sure what they are feeling. So while there are certain colors that are generally accepted to represent love, it is still up to you to decide which shade would adequately depict your unique relationships with other people.
I’m Chris and I run this website – a resource about symbolism, metaphors, idioms, and a whole lot more! Thanks for dropping by.