White is an achromatic color that normally contrasts with black because it is just the opposite: it is absolute lightness, or the absence of darkness.

But it is not simply that, for beyond what is technically the target, there remains the impact it has on the human mind. An impact modulated by the culture in which one lives and by the system of symbols from which one experiences reality, of course, and which is related to a series of sensations and concepts that evoke us when we see it.

In this article we will see what the color white means in different societies and cultures , focusing especially on Western countries.

What does the color white mean in different cultures?

It must be kept in mind that there is no universal meaning of the colour white, but that it is always mediated by the cultural context in which we have been educated and which influences us in our daily lives. So let’s see what concepts and sensations white evokes by distinguishing by cultural blocks.

In the West

As we shall see, in Western countries the Balnco is associated with a series of concepts that are associated with a fragile and momentary balance, a state in which there is no antagonism or stridency. In some way, these place the target in a position of closeness to the spiritual, which has traditionally been seen as beyond matter and not subject to the imperfections of the earthly .

1. Purity and ingenuity

The paradox of white is that, despite being the combination of all the colours present in the rainbow, it represents purity. This has been the meaning of white most associated with white, understanding by purity, normally, that which has not been corrupted, for which it has clear moral connotations.

Perhaps this is because the colour white is seen as something of a precarious existence, which can fade when any other element comes into contact with it; the immaculate becomes stained when the white is invaded by the dirt coming from other elements.

For a similar reason, in Western countries the target means innocence, since this is related to childhood, which has not had time to be corrupted . It is a fatalistic perception of the life cycle that is embodied in our way of attributing meanings to this colour. Furthermore, the concept of naivety is also related to white.

On the other hand, as the target is purity, it is also widely used in ceremonies related to the sacred, since it is said that before the divine one one must present himself without stain. Wedding dresses are the clearest example of this.

2. I clean it

In addition, the white represents the clean, the sterilized, also related to purity. For this reason, is widely used in the hotel and catering industry and in the health sector , to reassure people and give them a sense of calm.

3. Peace

Another of the meanings of white is peace, which is often symbolized by the figure of a white dove. In fact, this is also why is linked to the flag of surrender and those used to call a truce .

The reason why white means peace may have to do with the fact that it is beyond the typical chromatic compositions of the flags and emblems of the clans facing each other in battle.

While the rest of the colours are usually present in concrete figures that serve to distinguish sides, white is perceived as something with its own entity, being the union of all the colours, and therefore beyond the front-line logic based on division.

4. Nothingness

From what we have seen, the white also represents the absence of matter, the void . This representation of nothingness allows us to place the target in the concept of what exists “by default”, independently of everything else.

A blank space is there without anything having to be filled in, since the blank is nothing, and it will be filled in when we add something to it. Perhaps this has to do with the meaning of purity, which leads us to think about this color as if it were an element to which nothing has yet been affected, and to which everything is about to be added.

In China

Interestingly, in China white has traditionally symbolized death and bad luck . At weddings, instead of white, the colour red has been used.

In India

In Indian culture, white symbolizes the contemplative life and separation from the rest of society, something linked to the Western notion of purity, but with more social and isolating connotations . For this reason, widows usually wear white, not black.

Bibliographic references:

  • Plochere Color System. Kenneth L. Kelly and Deanne B. Judd. (1976): “Color: Universal Language and Dictionary of Names”, National Bureau of Standards, Spec. Publ. 440
  • Heller, Eva (2012). Psychology of colour. Barcelona: Gustavo Gili.