According to historical representations, the Greeks and Hebrews considered red to be a symbol of love. In the 13th century during the Middle Ages, one of the most popular works of literature was a French poem titled Roman de la Rose (the Romance of the Rose). The poem described the author’s search for a red rose in an enclosed garden, symbolising his search for the woman he loved. Many notable and popular poets and writers have also used the romantic significance of red roses in their writings.
In terms of the history of St Valentine’s Day, the origin of the celebrations of love on this day has never been certain, but many believe that St. Valentine was a Roman Catholic priest who was executed on February 14th in 269 AD.
We can clearly observe that the tradition of red being used to symbolise love has historical influences. However, there could be another reason why red has connotations with love, which is the influence of red on physical attraction.
In a study conducted by Elliot and Niesta (2008), male subjects were shown a photograph of a woman and asked to rate her attractiveness. A photograph of the woman wearing a red shirt was shown to half of the participants, while the other half was shown a photo of the same woman wearing a shirt that was blue in colour. Those who had been shown the woman wearing the red shirt rated her as more attractive and desirable.
Hues that are warm and rich are ideal to create a sensuous or romantic setting. If you are wondering what colours to wear to look most attractive, a bright red or wine red is the answer. A red dress or tie is bound to attract attention. In fact, this is not limited to clothing. Even driving a red sports car is believed to be more attractive.
When it comes to romantic gestures, giving red roses is a symbol of love. In fact, red roses are dedicated to Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. According to the legend, her tears and Adonis’ blood watered the ground from where the red roses grew.
Hope you enjoyed reading this article and have gained some insight about the colour of love!