For most of us, the color red is closely linked with the idea of racing hearts in love. There’s no doubt that red is the color of love, romance and passion. We see it every February when cards covered in shiny, red hearts accompanied by red roses by the dozen fill the stores. However, red does have some competition when it comes to being the default color for warmth, endearment, devotion and attraction.
It turns out there’s a pretty good case to be made for the fact that another color is actually the true color of love. Those red hearts we see at Valentine’s Day may need to be repainted green. Yes, green. According to people who are tuned into chakras, green is the clear representation of love.
Green as the Color of Love: It’s All About Good Vibrations
If you follow ancient wisdom traditions that utilize chakras, you are already quite familiar with green. One of the seven wheel-like points of energy located on the spine, the green chakra is the heart chakra. This is owed to the fact that green’s placement happens to be located exactly in the middle of the body. It is said to be the point that we love from among those who study and follow the chakras.
Those who believe that it’s the color green that deserves the spotlight as the color of love are quick to point out that nature certainly does seem to sprinkle its love on us through the use of green. Plants that nourish us, grass that warms our feet and limestone-rich bodies of water that cleanse us all seem to come to us straight from the heart of nature.
By contrast, red items in nature are often dangerous. While some may see that as a perfect metaphor for love after being burned, the truth is that red isn’t the color that nature has chosen to nourish us. Another interesting tidbit is that red is actually considered to be the lowest vibrational manifestation on the color spectrum. This intense, evocative color can bring up feelings of violence, rage and passion.
How Red Came to Be the Color of Love
It’s hard to imagine that any color other than green could be considered a love hue once you contemplate the way that the green of the earth nourishes us. Why is red the color of love? Red’s associations with love and romance evolved through several different cultures throughout the centuries. What’s most interesting of all is that red’s popularity as the color of love in the Western world isn’t necessarily linked to romantic love.
There are many examples of the use of red to symbolize love. In China, brides typically wear red wedding dresses as a symbol of good fortune. In Roman times, brides wore red wedding shawls called flammeum veils that symbolized love, fertility and fire.
During the Middle Ages, Catholic cardinals and bishops began to wear red vestments to symbolize the blood of Christ. The use of red liturgically calls to mind the loving sacrifice that Christians believe was made for all mankind. In the Catholic Church, the use of red is also symbolic of martyrdom. This is one of the main reasons why red has come to be linked with love in the Western world.
Red or Green: What Is the True Color of Love?
It’s time to throw down some final pieces of evidence for the case of red against green for the title of the color of love. As we’ve covered, there are many signs within nature that show that green is clearly the color that nature itself uses to spread its love to all living creatures. However, there’s also a pretty good “natural” argument to be made for red’s reign as the color of love.
Those looking to crown red as the color of love often point to the notion that it’s our own bodies that have chosen red as the color of love. Just think of the blushing of the cheeks and reddening of lips that occur when someone is in the presence of someone they are attracted to. This blush is more than just a trope in poems and love stories. It’s a biological truth that blood does rush to the face when a person is in a state of attraction. In fact, blushing is a telltale sign of attraction. Of course, those who are on “team green” would be quick to point out that this biological display of rosiness is actually a sign of desire instead of being an indicator of genuine love.
The bottom line is that the human relationship with love is so complex that it only makes sense that it would take two colors to fully convey all that love entails. From a soulful, spirit-oriented point of view, it’s clear to see that green is the color of love. However, we can’t deny that red’s relationship to the very blood that runs to our hearts links this hue with love on a very deep, intrinsic level. The verdict? You can love both red and green as the colors of love. In fact, embracing them both may just open up a new, holistic way to see your relationship to love that you never considered before.
Read Next: The 9 Best Colors to Wear on a First Date
