Colors that mean opposite things in different cultures
0Loading crowd target
Questions and sources
Colors That Mean Opposite Things in Different Cultures — Daily trivia Thursday, August 6, 2026: questions and answers
All 10 questions with answers and explanations. Play this daily
Q 01Which Western wedding-dress color is the traditional color of mourning in China and Korea?
- AWhite
- BGray
- CBlue
- DRed
Show answer
White
The mourning shade is really the off-white of undyed linen, and until the 16th century European widows wore white too; medieval French queens mourned in white as well.
Q 02Which colour of Western mourning did the ancient Egyptians link to fertility and the Nile's rich soil?
- ABrown
- BBlack
- CDark green
- DGray
Show answer
Black
Black. Egypt's own name, Kemet, meant 'black land', and the jackal god Anubis was painted black as a guardian of the dead, not a threat.
Q 03Which colour is US slang for cowardice but was reserved for the emperor in imperial China?
- AYellow
- BGreen
- CLight blue
- DBeige
Show answer
Yellow
Yellow. Qing emperors were crowned in yellow dragon robes, and bright yellow was worn only by the emperor and empress.
Q 04Which colour marks Chinese New Year and lucky money envelopes in China, but stop signs in the West?
- AOrange
- BRed
- CSilver
- DGold
Show answer
Red
Red. The colour of hongbao stands for good luck and warding off evil spirits, while Soviet Russia took a red flag after its 1917 revolution.
Q 05Which colour, once made from a rare sea-snail dye, may a Thai widow wear in mourning?
- AGold
- BPurple
- CEmerald
- DCrimson
Show answer
Purple
Purple. In 19th-century Britain, violet and purple became half-mourning colours, worn after a spell in black.
Q 06Which colour did ancient Romans link to barbarians?
- ALight green
- BIndigo
- CSilver
- DBlue
Show answer
Blue
Hindu art goes the other way and paints Vishnu's avatars Krishna and Rama with blue skin, and Europe's oldest dye for the colour was the plant woad.
Q 07Legend says the sea queen of which Indonesian island's south coast targets visitors who wear green?
- ASumatra
- BBali
- CJava
- DSulawesi
Show answer
Java
Java. A beach hotel at Palabuhanratu in West Java keeps room 308 in green and reserved for the sea queen, Nyai Roro Kidul.
Q 08In China, being made to 'wear a green hat' is an idiom meaning that what has happened to you?
- AYour wife has been unfaithful
- BYou have gone bankrupt
- CYou have been promoted
- DYou have failed an exam
Show answer
Your wife has been unfaithful
Your wife has been unfaithful. The phrase recalls Yuan dynasty rules that made the families of prostitutes wear green headscarves.
Q 09Which now-feminine color was worn by 19th-century English boys as a lighter version of army scarlet?
- APink
- BCrimson
- CPeach
- DLavender
Show answer
Pink
Pink. As late as 1918 a trade magazine called it 'more suitable for the boy', though a 2012 study suggests such advice was the exception.
Q 10Which color signals safety on life jackets and cones, and in its saffron shade means holiness to Hindus and Buddhists?
- ANeon Yellow
- BAmber
- CBright Orange
- DChartreuse
Show answer
Bright Orange
Bright Orange. After a girl survived days adrift on a small white raft that rescuers found hard to spot, the US Coast Guard adopted international orange for such gear.
How to play
- One question at a time, four options. Tap an answer to lock it in.
- You see the answer and a short explanation right away.
- Harder questions and faster answers earn more points. Share your score at the end.