Orange is an odd one. It’s bright and sunny like yellow, but there’s just something different about this guy (yes, orange is a dude). Maybe it’s how orange can be both alluringly beautiful (place orange next to azure/blue – like autumn leaves on a blue sky – and tell me you aren’t moved to spontaneous giggles and dancing) and incredibly icky (road crews, correctional facility jumpsuits, hall monitor sashes … you get the point).
But, make no mistake, orange has been with us for a very long time. As a member of the ochre family, orange was one of the first dyes for clothing. It was named orange for the fruit that bears the same name. Every American consumes in the neighborhood of 43 lbs of oranges in a given year – more than any other fruit – as both a fruit and as fruit juice. We often associate the color orange with two autumn festival days: Halloween and Thanksgiving.
In Hindu Tantrism, orange represents the second Chakra, located near the tailbone and connected to the unconscious and emotion. The saffron stripe on India’s flag signifies courage, sacrifice and the spirit of renunciation (orange is also the national color of the Netherlands). In Christianity, orange is associated with Protestantism and is featured on the Irish flag for this very reason. Syracuse University’s athletic teams are known as the “Orange” as orange has been the university’s primary color since 1890. Other notable universities using Orange prominently: the University of Florida, Illinois University, the University of Tennessee, the University of Texas, Clemson University, Princeton University, and Auburn University. Go Team Orange!
.jpg "The Study of Oranage")
Images can be found via: Chair, Gerber Daisy, Fabric, Paprika, Oranges, Suit, Sunset, Volkswagen, Candy, Telephone, Pumpkins, Cavern, Peacoat.
