Being an artist, color holds great value and meaning to me. Color dominates my life in everything I do. Including the clothes I ware and the food I eat. I even arrange the food on my plate like the color wheel. It makes eating so much more fun.
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I started thinking about the colors that represent it and decided to do a bit of research on the meaning of them. Listed below are the five prominent colors we see throughout the Thanksgiving Holiday and the food or symbols that represent them.
Brown
Brown is the dominant color of Thanksgiving because the main course at a Thanksgiving meal is turkey. Brown reflects the color of leaves in deep autumn before they fall, and also depicts stability, reliability, and abundance, protection and supporting the family with great sense of duty and responsibility. In color psychology the color brown is referred to as honest, genuine and sincere. It refers to the hard-working, diligent and reliable, with both feet planted firmly on the ground. Brown is sensual, sensitive and warm, and gives one a sense of calmness and comfort. It is a practical and sensible color, indicating common sense. The color brown is associated with healthy, natural and organic products, and everything related to the outdoors.
Yellow
Yellow is the color of corn, one of the most popular symbols for Thanksgiving because the first Thanksgiving feast celebrated the Pilgrims’ first corn harvest, according to history. The Native Americans taught the Pilgrims how to grow corn to survive the brutal winters. Corn comes in a variety of colors: yellow, orange, red, white, blue, even brown. The various colors of corncobs also make them attractive for decoration. Ornamental corncobs are found in wreaths and cornucopias, which are popular seasonal decorations. The color Yellow represents youth, fun, joy, sunshine and other happy feelings.
Orange
Pumpkins are also a popular staple at Thanksgiving dinners. Whether as pumpkin soup or pumpkin pie, orange adorns almost every Thanksgiving table. The pumpkin is an important symbol of the harvest festival. Native American Indians used pumpkins as a staple in their diets. Orange is a vibrant color which expresses happiness, blessings, and joy. Orange also stimulates our appetite. If you love having people around at Thanksgiving, the color orange makes your guests talk and eat for a long time.
Red
Red represents cranberries, which are one of only three fruits native to North America. Cranberries were eaten by Native Americans who believed they had medicinal value. Cranberries were mixed with meat to add sweetness to them. Pilgrims later added maple sugar to cranberries to create cranberry sauce. The color red indicates strength and perseverance and can also stimulate the appetite. No wonder we eat so much at Thanksgiving. With red and orange surrounding us, we don't stand a chance.
Green
According to Iroquois legend, beans are known as one of the "Three Sisters" corn and squash are the other two and today they are an integral part of the Thanksgiving meal. The Native Americans imparted their knowledge about growing and harvesting beans along with cornstalks to the Pilgrims. No wonder, it is said that beans were also a part of first Thanksgiving meal. Green is the color of nature and health. It represents growth, nature, money, fertility and safety. It promotes love of nature, family, friends, pets and home. Green is a perfect color for Thanksgiving.
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I started thinking about the colors that represent it and decided to do a bit of research on the meaning of them. Listed below are the five prominent colors we see throughout the Thanksgiving Holiday and the food or symbols that represent them.
Brown
Brown is the dominant color of Thanksgiving because the main course at a Thanksgiving meal is turkey. Brown reflects the color of leaves in deep autumn before they fall, and also depicts stability, reliability, and abundance, protection and supporting the family with great sense of duty and responsibility. In color psychology the color brown is referred to as honest, genuine and sincere. It refers to the hard-working, diligent and reliable, with both feet planted firmly on the ground. Brown is sensual, sensitive and warm, and gives one a sense of calmness and comfort. It is a practical and sensible color, indicating common sense. The color brown is associated with healthy, natural and organic products, and everything related to the outdoors.
Yellow
Yellow is the color of corn, one of the most popular symbols for Thanksgiving because the first Thanksgiving feast celebrated the Pilgrims’ first corn harvest, according to history. The Native Americans taught the Pilgrims how to grow corn to survive the brutal winters. Corn comes in a variety of colors: yellow, orange, red, white, blue, even brown. The various colors of corncobs also make them attractive for decoration. Ornamental corncobs are found in wreaths and cornucopias, which are popular seasonal decorations. The color Yellow represents youth, fun, joy, sunshine and other happy feelings.
Orange
Pumpkins are also a popular staple at Thanksgiving dinners. Whether as pumpkin soup or pumpkin pie, orange adorns almost every Thanksgiving table. The pumpkin is an important symbol of the harvest festival. Native American Indians used pumpkins as a staple in their diets. Orange is a vibrant color which expresses happiness, blessings, and joy. Orange also stimulates our appetite. If you love having people around at Thanksgiving, the color orange makes your guests talk and eat for a long time.
Red
Red represents cranberries, which are one of only three fruits native to North America. Cranberries were eaten by Native Americans who believed they had medicinal value. Cranberries were mixed with meat to add sweetness to them. Pilgrims later added maple sugar to cranberries to create cranberry sauce. The color red indicates strength and perseverance and can also stimulate the appetite. No wonder we eat so much at Thanksgiving. With red and orange surrounding us, we don't stand a chance.
Green
According to Iroquois legend, beans are known as one of the "Three Sisters" corn and squash are the other two and today they are an integral part of the Thanksgiving meal. The Native Americans imparted their knowledge about growing and harvesting beans along with cornstalks to the Pilgrims. No wonder, it is said that beans were also a part of first Thanksgiving meal. Green is the color of nature and health. It represents growth, nature, money, fertility and safety. It promotes love of nature, family, friends, pets and home. Green is a perfect color for Thanksgiving.
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