Black. Donning dark colors for mourning has been strongly associated with death and loss for centuries in the west and is a practice believed to date back to the Roman times. In the early 1900s, black jewelry made from polished stone, jet, was particularly popular in the form of mourning brooches and mourning rings.
Common death symbols come in three major categories: animals (such as ravens and black cats), plants (like hyacinths and lilies), and objects/phenomena (such as a flag at half-mast).
If ever there was a colour capable of cloaking such a curious compression of life and death, it's green. So green goes, sowing into the story of art the mysteries of our own fleeting appearance in the world.
Carnations (all carnations signify sympathy and grief)
Red represents admiration and love. Pink signifies remembrance. White represents innocence and love.
Blue is the colour of creeping Livor Mortis as a body's life force submits to the rigours of gravity in death. So blue is the colour of sorrow, of irreversible decay, and yet, it is also the colour of a summer sky, of clear, clean water reflecting the sun.
The association of the colour black with death and loss is centuries old and is believed to have originated during Roman times.
The color purple is traditionally the color of royalty. It has a more unsettling meaning when used during a Day of the Dead celebration. Purple signifies the suffering that comes with the loss of a loved one. It is the color of grief and painful mourning.
The classic, central Memorial Day color is red. Additionally, as a national holiday, Memorial Day is also often represented with white and blue, joining with the red in a typical representation of the United States flag's colors.
In Mexico, Ethiopia and Egypt, yellow is the colour of mourning. Egyptians saw the sun and gold were yellow in colour and had lasting qualities to send the deceased into the afterlife. In Korea blue is their colour of mourning, as opposed to Western culture's meaning of depression and sadness.
Blue the Color of Peace
As a primary color (and the most popular color on the spectrum), blue is a building block for many other colors and shades, but in its purest form, blue represents peace and tranquility. That's because blue is synonymous with such things as the daytime sky on a calm day.
The phoenix is a symbol of death and rebirth that has been used in many cultures throughout history. The phoenix is often depicted as a bird rising from the ashes, representing the idea that death can lead to renewal and transformation.
Purple, a color traditionally tied to notions of royalty and dignity, is less frequently seen but still bears significant meaning in funeral flower arrangements. Purple flowers, like lavender or violets, often stand as a symbol of admiration and honor for a life that was well-lived.
The chrysanthemum, or mum, makes a wonderful choice when mourning with a family that has ties to Europe or Asia. China, Korea and Japan use white chrysanthemums to symbolize grief. Gladioli. When mourning someone who displayed strength and character in life, the gladioli is an excellent choice to send to the family.
Dark crimson roses denote grief and sorrow. Yellow roses are given by friends of the deceased to symbolize their strong ties. When you include a single rose in a bouquet it expresses enduring love for the deceased.
Different shades of purple have different spiritual meanings. For instance, light purples are associated with light-hearted, romantic energies, while darker shades can represent sadness and frustration. In some parts of Europe, purple is associated with death and mourning.
The color purple is often associated with royalty, nobility, luxury, power, and ambition. Purple also represents meanings of wealth, extravagance, creativity, wisdom, dignity, grandeur, devotion, peace, pride, mystery, independence, and magic.
Although black is the most traditional of colors, smart and dark clothing is also acceptable. Wearing dark grey or deep blue is just as appropriate as black, while brown and lighter greys are suitable for the vast majority of funeral services.
A celebration of life has more permissible color and style options than a traditional funeral. It's okay, encouraged even, to wear something other than dark colors. Light and bright colors like pink, green, red, or yellow are appropriate.
The History of Wearing Black To A Funeral
Ancient Romans would wear their togas in dark black to show their respect for a loved one. They would mourn the deceased in what was known as a toga pulla, a name for their black toga—ever since then, wearing black to funerals has become a ritual in most nations today.
Although funerals are generally held to mourn someone who has passed away, if the service is a celebration of life instead, then bright colors aren't just acceptable, but the dress code. With these services, it's not about wearing black, formal attire and being somber.
Wearing red to a funeral would be considered inappropriate because it would clash with the somber atmosphere and be viewed as disrespectful. In some eastern cultures, red is also seen as a positive color, but it carries different connotations. Red represents luck, good fortune, and happiness.
Yellow: Happiness, Hope, Deceit. Green: New Beginnings, Abundance, Nature. Blue: Calm, Responsible, Sadness. Purple: Creativity, Royalty, Wealth.
The colors yellow and orange are both used in this holiday to represent marigolds, the sun, and light. Marigolds are the flowers of the dead and are thought to help the deaceased find their way back home due to their strong scent and bright colors. The color red is used to represent blood.
Sadness. “Gray” was the most frequent color indicated for sadness, followed by “indigo” and then “black” (Figure 1).