Orange (colour)

Orange is a bright and cheerful colour between yellow and red. When we see light with a certain dominant wavelength, it looks orange. The colour is named after the orange fruit.

Many fruits and vegetables are orange because of natural pigments called carotenes. Carrots, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, and oranges are this colour thanks to these pigments. In the autumn, leaves can turn orange when the green chlorophyll fades away.

People often think orange means fun, warmth, and energy. It is linked to autumn and holidays like Allhallowtide. In the Netherlands, orange is an important colour for the country. It also has special meaning in some religions and groups.

In nature and culture

The colour orange is named after the orange fruit. It is often used for things like lifeboats and safety jackets because it is easy to see.

Orange is also an important colour in some cultures. For example, some Buddhist monks in Laos and Hindu Sadhus in Rajasthan wear orange as a sacred colour. Emperor Naruhito, when he was Crown Prince, wore orange in special clothing called a sokutai. The substance saffron is both a spice and a dye used in many places, especially in India.

Etymology

The word orange comes from the name of the orange fruit. In English, people started using it to describe the color in 1502. Before that, they used words like "yellow-red" for the color. The word moved through many languages, starting from Sanskrit and reaching English through Old French and Italian.

History and art

In ancient Egypt and ancient India, artists used orange in their artwork. In Egypt, a mineral called realgar gave orange to paintings in tombs. In India, orange stones called carnelians were used in the Indus Valley Civilisation. Later, artists in the Middle Ages used orange for books.

Before the late 1400s, orange was in Europe but did not have a name; it was called yellow-red. Portuguese traders brought orange trees from Asia to Europe in the late 1400s and early 1500s. The word for orange came from an old language and changed in different European languages. By the 1600s, the color orange looked like the fruit we know today.

The House of Orange-Nassau was an important family in Europe during the 1500s and 1600s. They began in the Principality of Orange in France. The family supported Protestantism and fought for countries like the Netherlands. One famous member, William III of Orange, became king in England. Because of him, orange became an important color in Britain and Europe. It became a symbol for certain ideas, especially in places like Ireland and South Africa.

In the 1700s and 1800s, orange was used in art in many ways. Some artists used it for clothes and scenes in their paintings. Scientists found new ways to make orange paint, which let artists paint outside and show real nature colors. Famous artists like Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh used orange to make their pictures bright and full of light.

In recent times, orange has been used for safety, like in life jackets. It has also been linked to important events and groups, like a big movement in Ukraine called the Orange Revolution. In some places, orange is connected to certain beliefs and traditions.

Science

In optics, orange is the colour we see when looking at light with a wavelength between about 585 and 620 nanometres. It has a special place in colour systems.

In traditional painting, orange is made by mixing red and yellow. When shown on screens, orange is made using red and green light.

Orange appears in many natural things. Carrots, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes get their colour from special plant parts called carotenes. These help plants turn sunlight into energy. Leaves often turn orange in autumn for the same reason.

Fruits like oranges and many flowers also show this warm colour, linking it to harvest and autumn in many cultures.

Culture, associations and symbolism

In Confucianism, an ancient Chinese philosophy, orange means change. In China and India, the name orange comes from the saffron plant, not the orange fruit. Yellow stands for perfection, and red stands for happiness. Together, they make orange, the color of change.

Orange and yellow are linked with fun and joy in Europe and America. This makes orange the opposite of blue, which stands for calmness. In art, the god of wine, Bacchus (called Dionysus in Greece), is sometimes shown in orange. Clowns also wear orange wigs. Famous artists like Toulouse-Lautrec and Henri Matisse used orange in their paintings.

Orange is easy to see, so it is used for safety. Life jackets, buoys, and safety signs are often orange. Workers wear orange to be seen. Astronauts wear orange suits, and important airplane parts are painted orange. The Golden Gate Bridge is orange to stand out in fog. Orange is a favorite color for people who like to be active.

In schools, orange is sometimes linked to engineering. Some universities, like Syracuse University and the University of Tennessee, use orange as a school color.

Orange appears in many flags. The flag of Ireland uses orange for the Protestant community. The flag of India has a top color called saffron, seen as orange, for sacrifice. The flag of Côte d'Ivoire uses orange for the northern savannah. Other flags with orange are Niger, Zambia, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and Armenia.

Orange is used in some political movements. It has been used by Christian democratic parties, the Orange Institution in Northern Ireland, and during the Orange Revolution in Ukraine. It is also the color of awareness ribbons for preventing certain behaviors.

In religion, orange is special. In Hinduism, it is sacred. Hindu and Sikh temples have orange flags, and monks wear orange robes. In Buddhism, orange means enlightenment. Buddhist monks wear orange robes.

In sports, many teams use orange. The Netherlands national football team wears orange, and some baseball teams have orange foul poles. Skaters and hockey players often wear orange shirts.