Colourful Meanings

I love bangles! Glass, plastic, metal, wooden - any kind, I don't discriminate when it comes to my love for bangles.

I remember playing hide and seek at a friend's house when we were a lot younger, and we decided to hide in her mom's room. Now this moment may have lasted not more than 3 seconds, but to me, I saw it in slow-motion. Sitting on her mom's dressing table was a short object, shaped similar to a clothes stand - only it was for bangles! She had so many bangles in all the different colours out there in display. It was so beautiful! It was love at first sight. That day I made a secret promise to myself - some day, I too shall own a bangles stand and will display all the different coloured bangles I own!

I grew up and that self-promise sort of went on hold. Until I visited some distant relatives in Sri Lanka last summer and noticed that ALL the married girls have one of those in their rooms.

In the Indian culture, bangles are considered to be linked to the social position and marital status of a woman. For example, in certain parts of the country, it is traditional for brides to receive white and red coloured bangles. This is because it is believed that white signifies new beginnings and red is a symbol of energy. After a Hindu woman is widowed, she breaks her glass wedding bangles in an act of mourning. Similarly, different colours are symbolic of various emotions or attributes:

Red ~ Energy / Love
Blue~ Tranquility / Wisdom
Purple ~ Independence
Green ~ Luck
Orange ~ Success
Yellow ~ Happiness
White ~ New Beginning or Purity
Black ~ Power / Strength
Silver ~ Strength / Purity
Gold ~  Fortune

 

In China, jade bangles, are thought to be representative of prosperity, luck, a long life and protection from the evil spirits. This positivity is doubled when a jade bangle is gifted to someone because both the gifter and the giftee are blessed with good fortune. 

 In Africa, bangles are considered as symbols of peace.

When I wear bangles I tend to mix and match a lot of the different colours together - making it appear like I am going through a cocktail of emotions and stages of my life all at the same time!

 Neurotic much? Sigh! Explains the high levels of drama in my life!

What colour bangle do you feel like wearing today?

Links used:


http://www.divavillage.com/article_archive.php?id=37845&section_name=Hot+Finds&pg=2
http://www.sensationalcolor.com/liveinfullcolor/give-the-gift-of-color-jingle-jangle-bangles/
http://www.ehow.com/about_5200088_do-indian-women-wear-bangles_.html