What does Red, White & Blue Mean to You?

Color is fascinating and has an influence over our emotions and our behaviors. It is a topic we have been interested in for a long time as you may have read about in previous Mayamam blog posts like The Power of Red or Not Just Any Blue, it’s Cobalt or The Intrigue of the Color Turquoise in our Textiles. Humans are always under the influence of colors as they make us feel something. As we are kicking off summer this holiday weekend, we are wondering what the colors red, white and blue make you think of. Does it conjure up visions of backyard barbecues and 4^th of July parades? Or perhaps you come from a different culture where red, white and blue have different meanings.

To begin with, in the USA, red, white and blue most often reminds people of the country’s flag. Historians believe that those colors were inspired by the British flag which is also red, white and blue. It was in 1777 that the Second Continental Congress declared that the flag of the United States would have 13 stripes of red and white, 13 stars on top of a blue rectangle. It wasn’t until 5 years later when founding father Charles Thomson presented the Great Seal to Congress that the meaning of the colors was revealed. He said the white signifies purity and innocence, red symbolizes hardiness and valor, and the blue signifies vigilance, perseverance and justice.

For Mayans, these colors and their meanings also carry great significance. Red represents the sun, blood, fire, strength as well as red corn. Red corn is extremely important to Mayans as they believe it is linked to blood which is essential to the life of all humans. To the Maya people, white is purity, as well as the color of life, through bones and the whites of our eyes. Blue is important because it represents two large parts of the world, the sky and water through lakes and oceans.

If you’ve been hanging around with us for a while, you’ve probably noticed that the women of Cajolá look beautiful in red and blue when they are wearing their trajes or traditional clothing.  Their huipiles or blouses are red and their cortes are a dark blue or indigo color.

As Guatemalans first, then artisans, Mayamam Weavers love color! If you look around, you will be able to find reds, whites and blues all around the website. You can even find our Red, White and Blues stripe which is a popular colorway for summer events.