Yellow may be associated to cowardice, caution and aging, but it is more often associated to sunshine, happiness, hope and joy. It’s physiologically the ‘happiest’ color. Pushing any negative representations that might linger out of our minds. For years yellow ribbons were worn as a sign of hope for women as they waited for their men to come home from war and even still it represents courage and peace in India and Japan. It may be the most important color in Chinese culture as it was considered a color worn by members of the imperial families and it symbolized the element earth. The color also provided the name ‘Yellow Emperor’ to Huangdi an emperor who lived by the land, was known to tame wild animals, introduced Martial Arts to China, and was the founder of traditional Chinese Medicine and the Chinese Calendar. A man of many inventions and much respect in Chinese culture, yellow very soon became associated with prosperity and good-faith. When we see yellow there is instant communication to the brain which throttles stimulation of mental processes and the nervous system. Our memory is activated and communication is encouraged. Could it be that being told to eat a banana before an exam has nothing to do with the nutrition, but more of our physical reaction to the color we see? Good food for thought.

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