Peace refers to the absence of conflict, disturbance, or dissent. It is a state of calm and serenity. Based on this, the colors that come to mind are those that have the same effect on people. This includes blue, green, purple, pink, and white.
Choosing which shade to use to symbolize peace would depend on the context and objective for its use. Some shades are more applicable to external signs of peace, such as ending war, or reconciliation between former enemies.
Other shades are more appropriate for an internally directed type of peace, such as contentment, calmness, or self-acceptance.
Furthermore, the multicolored rainbow symbolizes peace, and this goes back to biblical metaphors.
Colors that Represent Peace (A to Z List)
1. Blue
Because it is closely related to nature, particularly with the seas and the sky, blue triggers feelings of calm and serenity. In psychology, it represents dependability, confidence, as well as inner peace.
Being surrounded by this shade can make a person feel relaxed, content, and at peace.
Light blue shades, in particular, are linked to healing, wellness, and serenity. They provide a sense of inner freedom and tranquility.
It has a soothing effect on people because it can influence the body to release dopamine and serotonin. These are the chemicals responsible for mood regulation, as well as overall well-being.
Instead of being used to ease war and conflict, blue is more closely related to peace of mind and self acceptance. It is friendly and non-threatening, making it a well-liked color across different ages, countries, and races.
2. Green
Green is found practically everywhere in nature. After all, grass that is present almost everywhere on earth has this shade. Green makes people immediately think of nature and the feelings that are connected with it, such as freshness, freedom, calm, and relaxation.
As the color of leaves which is in charge of a plant’s sustenance, green is associated with healing, growth, fertility, and abundance.
When people are feeling stressed or burnt out, they often feel an urge to be out in the open and be one with nature.
Being surrounded by greenery relaxes and revitalizes both the mind and the body. According to research, exposure to green colors helps the body recover from physical and mental exhaustion, including anxiety and depression.
This is because green enhances balance and harmony of the energies in the body. In Hinduism, green is the color of the heart chakra, which refers to self-love, or a balance between love of oneself and love of others and the world.
3. Multicolor (Rainbow)
Mixing colors in the pattern of the rainbow can also help to represent peace.
The rainbow is a symbol of peace because it comes out in the sky after a storm. It often heralds the start of a period of good weather and the end of turmoil.
In the old testament of the bible, the rainbow was used as a symbol by God to symbolize to Noah that the flooding of the earth has ended. In Christianity, therefore, the rainbow is particularly symbolic of peace with God.
4. Pink
A delicate, feminine color, pink is usually related to love, romance, and everything sweet and nice. It is the softer side of red, which tones down the fiery energy and aggression of the latter color. Pink stands for friendship, mutual care, harmony, and serenity.
This color has been proven to effectively decrease aggressive feelings and regulate mood, particularly the light pink shades. It allows people to reconnect to their inner child, bringing back memories of happier, more innocent times.
It has a pacifying effect, relieving anger, stress, anxiety, and hostility.
In a 1979 study, it was found that men felt that they became considerably weaker, physically and mentally, after staring at a pink cardboard for a period of time.
This effect was repeatedly tested and verified in later studies using different subjects in navy prisons, youth detention centers, and psychiatric patients. For this reason, county jails and detention centers have started using pink in their holding areas to calm down captured aggressors.
5. Purple
Purple is more widely known as the color of royalty and fantasy. It is the color of fairy tales and magic.
But while not as popular, purple is also associated with intuition, perception, harmony, and peace because of its ability to influence the mind in terms of imagination and introspection.
Purple is created from the mix of red and blue, which are two opposing colors as the first is warm and the second is cool.
Because of its unique nature, it also stands for compatibility, cooperation, and achieving balance despite chaos or adversity.
The crown chakra, which is located at the top of the head, is a purple color. It governs thinking and creativity, as well as one’s imagination. It encourages a deeper understanding of a person’s thoughts and desires.
Thus, it is also linked with spirituality, self awareness, and self-acceptance, all of which creates harmony within one’s inner self and leads to peace of mind. Being surrounded in purple can help improve concentration and aid in meditation. This is why this shade is often used in religious contexts.
6. White
Many internationally used signs and symbols of peace are rendered in white. One reason is because of the relaxing effect that the shade gives off.
Another is the deep cultural and religious significance of the shade. In many countries, white has become recognized as an indication of cleanliness, virtue, purity, and tranquility.
For a long time now, white has represented things that are positive, righteous, and spiritual. Black, its opposite color, indicates evil, temptation, sin, and darkness.
Because white appears is a blank slate, it stands for the absence of any other color, meaning it is clean and untainted. This is why a bride traditionally wears white all over her body on her wedding day to signify her innocence and virtue. In essence, white indicates the absence of darkness, or sin.
White spaces appear larger than they actually are because light bounces back on white shades. In color psychology, white is perceived as openness and simplicity, but is also sometimes seen as cold and sterile. In Feng Shui, white signifies harmony and balance in the household.
This shade represents holiness and spiritual peace in Christianity, and is known as the ceremonial color of the Church during Christmas and Easter. In the Old Testament, a white dove brought an olive branch back to Noah in the Ark, signifying the end of the great flood. In the New Testament, the white dove was synonymous with the Holy Spirit.
Several emblems that are internationally recognized as symbols of peace are colored white, such as :
- White dove holding an olive branch became a modern representation of peace after at the 1949 World Peace Congress used this image for their insignia. (Similarly, a white pigeon can symbolize peace).
- White Poppy Flower stands for the call to stop wars, along with the message that there are other ways to resolve conflict other than violence and aggression. This started in 1933 during wartime Europe when white poppy was distributed to people in a bid to end conflict and push for peaceful conflict resolution.
- White Mistletoe encourages love instead of hatred. Aside from the more popular Christmas tradition of lovers kissing under a mistletoe, Norse mythology claims that the goddess Freya declared the plant as a symbol of peace. Thus, it used to be hung on doorways to indicate goodwill and friendship, while tribes would stop fighting when encountering a mistletoe.
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Conclusion
While harmony and calmness in out physical world is important, the importance of tranquility and balance in our inner self should not be neglected. War gets more attention since it destroys lives and kills people. However, depression and anxiety can also have the same effect, only in less obvious ways.
Having peace of mind goes a long way towards resolving many problems and issues that encounter on a daily basis. Being able to remain calm in the middle of adversity would prevent physical conflicts from arising or escalating. Surround yourself with these colors of peace to help condition your mind and keep your mood balanced and calm at any time.
I’m Chris and I run this website – a resource about symbolism, metaphors, idioms, and a whole lot more! Thanks for dropping by.