The Colour Orange

Sunrise and sunset, the light from a fire, autumn leaves, ‘red’ hair, carnelian and amber, and a whole range of good things to eat – orange is cheerful, stimulating, charming and productive. In the English language, the word ‘orange’ dates to the introduction of the fruit which gave the colour its name. Before then, the colour had been known as ‘geoluhread’, or yellow-red, and indeed many of orange’s symbolic meanings are a mixture of those belonging to red and yellow.

Although fire is considered red symbolically, individual flames are generally thought of as orange. The colour is warm without being aggressive, stimulating without causing alarm. It is exciting and engaging, but the edge and danger are missing; this is a colour for reflection, appetite and sociability. Many foods are orange, from squashes like pumpkin, through roots like carrot, sweet potato and ripe swede, to citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruits. They lend the colour associations with wholesomeness, desirability, security, physical energy and success.

Precisely because it is simultaneously stimulating but wholesome, exciting but safe, orange has become associated with adventure, persuasion, eagerness, energy, vigor and confidence – the romantic notions of engaging in heroic pursuits. This gives it charm, seductiveness, wonder, and associations to both creativity and wholesome lust. In heraldry, it had the specific meanings of generosity, honour and strength.

The complementary colour to blue, orange shows up most clearly against an open sky, and so is widely used world-wide as the best colour for matters of safety and security. People engaged in dangerous work outdoors – builders, engineers, track-side train officials and so on – often wear orange. There are even officially-described shades of orange known as “Safety Orange” and “International Orange”, both used for signs, markers and safety equipment. Interestingly, the colour has also become associated internationally with political opposition and rebellion, possibly through its links to persuasion, adventure and success. Religiously, the colour is linked to Hinduism, Protestantism, and to Judaism in the Gaza Strip.