Chinese Culture: Colors & Traditions

Red
Red is the color of auspiciousness or good fortune. This is why the traditional Chinese wedding colors are red. The bride is dressed in a red Qipao, or long form-fitting gown. The groom wears a big red sash with a bow over his long black gown. (Nowadays, many brides and grooms also wear white wedding gowns and tuxedos like in the West, but they will always have a traditional Chinese red costume to change into after the formal exchange of vows.)

Babies and anything associated with fertility is also symbolized by red. For example, a new mother will give out hard-boiled eggs dyed red to all her friends. In this way she is thought to pass on her fertility and good fortune to them.

Additionally, red is thought to ward off evil and bad luck. The Chinese believe that one is typically unlucky in the zodiac year in which one was born. For example, if you are born in the year of the dog, then every dog year is considered especially dangerous for you. In order to protect themselves in their zodiac year, many Chinese wear bright red underwear or red ribbons around their wrist.

White
White is a color most often associated with funerals. Funeral homes are decorated with white flowers and wreaths. White flowers are given to the family of the deceased as a sign of condolence. Thus it is crucial not to give white flowers to Chinese friends, especially not as a gift to someone who is sick!

In addition to giving white flowers, it is also taboo to wear white in one’s hair. When I was a teenager, my grand-grand-mother died. My grandmothers and mums generation had to wear white flowers in their hair. Even though I’m a female too, I was not supposed to wear one, because it’s only for the two female generation after the person who died. So wearing white in the hair when no one has died is considered very unlucky. In fact, it is even thought to precipitate an untimely death of a family member.

Black
Black is a somber color in Chinese. It signifies formality and is also a funerary color. When attending a funeral, friends and distant relatives all wear black (whereas white is reserved for the immediate family). And for months after the funeral, children of the deceased often wear a squared piece of black fabric on their arm. The grandchildren, however, have a small red squared piece of fabric on their arm. The little red colored one indicates that the deceased had lived long enough to have grandchildren, so it is a symbol of fortune and longevity. Males wear it on the left side, female on the right side.

Green
Green is typically an innocuous color. The only thing to be aware is not to give anyone, especially a man, a green hat as a gift. A green hat on a man indicates he is a cuckold. Calling someone a soft-shell-turtle also means the same.