Valentine's Weekend Fun and My Thoughts on the Color RED!

Valentine's Day fun (if you click on the title of this post, it will take you to some fun pictures that resulted after dancing at the studio on Saturday, impromptu dancing with my Valentine's gift, and more impromptu silliness after church on Sunday.

I realized recently that the color RED has a profound positive psychological effect on me. It probably has a physiological effect too. I find it stimulates me mentally and cheers me up. It also makes me happy. Although my favorite color is orange, red is the color that has a profound impact on my moods. IF I'm feeling down, I wear red or look at red to make me feel better.

Does that sound strange?

I also like to wear the color red (tomato red AKA warm red) is the most complimentary to my skin tones. Although I read once that red-heads shouldn't wear red. Now, I'm NOT a red head per se, but I do have a red head's coloring and my hair does have some red in it. Like chestnut brown almost auburn color.



Sunday after church


Doing a bit of research on GOOGLE about the color red, I find:

Meaning of the Color Red

Red has more personal associations than any other color. Recognized as a stimulant red is inherently exciting and the amount of red is directly related to the level of energy perceived. Red draws attention and a keen use of red as an accent can immediately focus attention on a particular element.

How the color red effects us mentally and physically
* Increases enthusiasm
* Stimulates energy
* Encourages action and confidence
* A sense of protection from fears and anxiety

SOURCE: http://www.squidoo.com/colorexpert

Red around the globe

• Red represents beauty in many languages and cultures, including Russia.

• In Chinese culture, red was associated with fire, south, and summer.

• In Japan, the color red is associated closely with a few deities in Shinto and Buddhist traditions, so statues of these deities are often decked in red clothing or painted red.
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• In China, red is associated with good luck and fortune.

• In Greece, Easter eggs are dyed red and the Greek expression "piase kokkino" ("touch red") is said when two people say the same thing at the same time. It is believed that such an occurrence is an omen that the two will have an argument in the future, which can only be broken when the two touch the closest thing that is red.

• In Jamaica, a popular slang term for someone who is under the influence or drunk is "red."

• In England, red phone booths and red double decker buses are national icons. Standard British pillar boxes (mail boxes) have been painted red since 1874.

• In India, a red mark on the forehead is said to bring good luck.

• To the Hindu, red symbolizes joy, life, energy, and creativity.

• Islamic, Hindu, and Chinese brides traditionally wear red.

• Cochineal red, discovered by the Aztecs, was made using the female cochineal beetle. A pound of water-soluble extract required about a million insects. For the Aztecs, Indian red dye was considered more valuable than gold! However, it was the Spaniards who introduced the crimson color of Cochineal red to Europe in the 1500s.

• In Aztec culture, red was connected with blood.

• Red amulets were worn in many cultures to prolong life.

• In Singapore, the color red traditionally symbolizes joy.

• Chinese New Year is celebrated by wearing red clothing and decorating the house with red. Red envelopes with "luck money" are given to unmarried children to bring good fortune to them for the rest of the year.

• In Israel, kosher clothing stores banned the color red and sell only loose-fitting apparel for women.

• The belief in the protective power of the color red can be traced back to the old Chinese folklore of the Nian, a man-eating beast of ancient China who used to feed on human flesh. Discovering that the creature abhorred loud noises and the color red, the people made liberal use of the color not only in their firecrackers, but also in home decorations and clothing to protect themselves from the Nian.

Interesting information about red

• Red is the highest arc of the rainbow.

• Red is the first color you lose sight of at twilight.

• The longest wavelength of light is red.

• Eric the Red is the Norwegian Viking credited for colonizing Greenland...he earned his nickname from his bright red hair and beard.

• Feng shui recommends painting the front door of a home red to invite prosperity to the residents.

• According to "The Language of Stained Glass" at Armstrong Browing Library at Baylor University: When Dante spoke of the Seraphim - the first of the nine choirs of Angels - the color that "glows" was the pure orange vermilion which his fellow citizens and brothers-in-spirit (the painters, illuminators, and glassmen) knew as red. So, it may be said that pure red is the color of divine love, the Holy Spirit, courage, self-sacrifice, martyrdom, and all the warm impulses that belong to the great-hearted everywhere.

• Bees can't see the color red, but they can see all other bright colors. Red flowers are usually pollinated by birds, butterflies, bats, and wind, rather than bees.

• Red is the color that means "severe" in the color-coded threat system established by presidential order in March 2002. This system quickly informs law enforcement agencies when intelligence indicates a change in the terrorist threat facing the nation.

Red and our sense of taste

Red fruits are flavorful and nutritious. Although not seen as frequently, there are also red vegetables. A few of my favorite red foods are listed below.

• The warm scent and flavor of baking apples is a sure sign that fall is just around the corner.

• The fragrant, sweet juiciness and deep red color of strawberries can brighten up both the taste and aesthetics of any meal; it is no wonder they are the most popular berry fruit in the world.

• Fresh cranberries, which contain the highest levels of beneficial nutrients, are at their peak from October through December, just in time to add their festive hue, tart, tangy flavor, and numerous health protective effects to your holiday meals.

Red and our sense of smell

• "Red is a color associated with poison, passion and seduction" -- Aromascope

• "Gallica Roses come in crimsons, deep pinks, mauves, and stripes and splashes. They are most often described as having Old Rose fragrances, which can be intense and spicy." -- American Rose Association

• AromaPod, a scented lifestyle tool, uses the color red with the scent that provides energy.

• "Cherry" was the original scent of the red colored Magic Scents Crayons from Binney & Smith Inc., introduced in 1994 with mostly food scents. However, there were numerous reports that children were eating the food-scented crayons, so the food scents were retired and replaced with non-food scents. The scent for the color red became "cedar chest."