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| Colour Significance Appropriate colours for different occasions |
Appropriate Colours for Occasions
Funerals: The color white is
preferable, because it is a
symbol of mourning. Black is also a
common color for funerals. Wearing the color red is considered ‘taboo’, and
people see it to mean disrespect towards the dead.
Weddings: For a traditional Chinese wedding, the color red or other bright colors is considered to be a lucky color, thus wearing bright colors can scare away evil spirits and bring good luck to the couple.
For a westernized wedding, the groom is
usually seen wearing a black tuxedo, and the bride, a white dress.
These two colors can be used to differentiate the men from the women.
In modern day western weddings, the color of clothes has been varying. People are becoming bolder when choosing the color of their attire.
Graduation Day: On graduation day, people wearing caps and gowns are a common sight. The students wear caps and gowns on special occasions.
The attire consists
of a full-flowing robe and a skullcap. These gowns are usually black. The color of the
hood's satin lining indicates the school 
that conferred the degree. The tassel is usually black in color. For a
doctorate degree, the tassel is gold in color. For a bachelor degree, women
wear gowns with white collars.
Chinese New Year: On Chinese New Year it is believed that wearing clothes that are red in color can bring good luck and prosperity throughout the year.
The
story behind the color red, started long ago when a beast called 'Nian' created
havoc in a village. It ate up people and 
their livestock. The people wanted to get rid of it, but were too
frighten to attack it as they feared for their lives.
A brave farmer decided to kill the beast. Although his wife was against it, he still went. For many days he did not return, and many people feared that he was dead.
Soon all their livestock were eaten up. The beast turned up at the village looking for food. A brave man decided to attack the beast.
This man was wearing red colored clothing. The beast saw him and immediately tried to shield itself. It suddenly dawned upon the man that the beast was afraid of bright colors like red and orange, and he yelled to the villagers to bring all kinds of bright colored objects from the village.
They managed to scare of the beast away, and after that incident, on every Chinese New Year’s eve, Chinese people would put up red and bright New Year decorations, as well as wear red colored clothing.
