Orange is the kind of colour it is hard to ignore, most people seem to love or hate it, but it certainly grabs one’s attention. Perhaps that explains why it shares red’s association with energy, although it is also associated with enthusiasm but this is tempered with balance.
Physiologically it seems to stimulate our appetite and digestion, just think of how may fruits and vegetables are orange or have orange tones; apricots, peaches, tangerines, carrots, pumpkins and of course, oranges. This fruit comes from an evergreen tree, Citrus aurantius, and the word “orange”, comes from the Old French ‘orenge’ the word first appeared in English in1300. The tree is evergreen and ever-bearing, thus the colour orange came to symbolise fruitfulness.
In astrology it is connected to the freedom loving energetic fire sign Sagittarius. It is the colour of the second charka; a vortex of energy which is located in the stomach area and governs vitality and health. Worldwide orange seems to be a colour which has come to symbolise a number of religious view points: Sikhism, Hinduism and Buddhism all favour this colour.
In Northern Ireland orange is associated with Protestantism, this is due to the influence of the Protestant king William of Orange. William was Dutch and even today in The Netherlands orange is symbolic of the Dutch royal family and patriotism.
Colour theorists also tend to believe orange can stimulate conversation and intellectual endeavour – so wearing orange could be helpful if you need to produce an important essay or report.
