The Color Red Is Strongly Associated With Love. Here’s Why

Have you ever wondered why the color red is so strongly associated to Valentine’s Day? According to Leslie Harrington, Executive Director of the Color Association of the United States, red is related to blood, which is related to the heart. This is how, over the years red has eventually turned into a symbol of love.

According to studies, people even perceive you differently when you wear the color red. In a study discussed at Psychology Today, researchers showed men, an image of a woman. One group was shown the woman wearing red whereas the other group was shown the woman wearing blue. The men rated the woman wearing red as being more attractive.

In the same study, men were shown images of a woman against different color backgrounds such as red, white, green and grey. Men rated the woman against the red background as the most attractive. Waitresses wearing red are more likely to receive higher tips from male customers, says another study. As a result, red has been associated with higher levels of attraction and sexual appeal.

Leslie Harrington also stated that when people see the colour red, their bodies undergo a physical reaction that is alike to the feelings one experiences while falling in love.

“It’s an emotional and physiological connection that happens,” Harrington said. “The other colors aren’t quite as lucky as red to have this really strong connection to things.”

Significance of Red in history

In addition, the colour red had great significance in history. A thirteenth century French poem called Roman De La Rose (the romance of the rose) came to be one of the most popular works of literature. The poem was about the author’s search for a red rose in a garden which symbolized his search for the woman he loved. In addition, Greeks and Hebrews considered red to be a symbol of love.

The influence of Red in sports

The colour red has gained a prominent place in other areas of our lives too. Psychologists have observed that the colour red has an influence in sports like Boxing or Tae Kwon Do. In the 2004 Olympics, Psychologists Hill and Barton observed that athletes were randomly assigned either red or blue kits, thereby giving the Psychologists a chance to observe their performance. During the games, Psychologists observed that athletes who wore red kits were 5% more likely to win over their opponents who were wearing blue. In similar studies it was found that football penalty shooters, were less likely to score if the goalie was wearing red.

This colour seems to be quite complex because though the colour symbolizes love, it also represents danger, threat, anger, power, dominance, confidence, status, passion and strength.

As Leslie Harrington aptly puts it “At the end of the day, the color red, like women themselves, contains multitudes. In some ways, it’s cute, but it can also be powerful, sexy, sensual and erotic. And, of course, it’s bold and beautiful.”