One of the three primary colors of light, red was voted the twelfth favorite color in the Color Census taken by Crayola in 2000. The use of the color red on the United States flag stands for courage. In China, it is a symbol of good luck and fortune. Just a few of the Crayola shades that have red as a base color include scarlet, brick red, magenta, and razzmatazz.
Blue, another primary color, was voted as the number one favorite Crayola color in its national poll. Used on coloring sheets to shade a sky or an ocean, psychologists believe it to have a calming effect when seen. In the Crayola color family, blue was used in the development of such colors as aquamarine, cerulean, denim, cornflower, indigo, and periwinkle.
Green is frequently associated with luck across many cultures. Representing nature, it is also the color chosen in a movement to become more environmentally friendly, commonly referred to as "going green". Every year on March 17, many people dress themselves in green to celebrate Saint Patricks Day. Relatives to green in the Crayola family include the colors asparagus, forest, fern, magic mint, and electric lime.
Violet, which is more commonly known as purple, is a color worn by royalty during historical times. In the military, an award called the Purple Heart is given to soldiers who were hurt or died while fighting in battle. It has been the inspiration for a number of songs, movies, and works of art. Variations that can be found in a large box of crayons are plum, lavender, fuchsia, eggplant, and mulberry.
When coloring, yellow may be used to fill in the sun, a flower, or a stripe on a honey bee. You will see it often during spring time, appearing on Easter eggs, candies, and baby duck decorations. It is used in combination to make a multitude of colors. Crayola uses it to make hues such as almond, banana mania, golden road, and canary.
Orange is the brilliant color you will find on the fruit that shares the name. You may see this color in the décor of restaurants, as it is believed to stimulate appetite. A mixture of the color and flavor is at the heart of many beverages and specialty dessert items. The tone is used as a school color for many schools and colleges. Variations of this hue in your crayon box include peach, bittersweet, apricot, and atomic tangerine.
Frequently used in interior design, brown is considered an earth tone. While brown did not win the popular vote in the 2000 Color Census, it was once a symbol of wealth and social standing. There were even laws during the Elizabethan era, called the Sumptuous Laws, that dictated who could wear the color. Other similar shades produced by Crayola include burnt sienna, beaver, chestnut, desert sand, and mahogany.
Black represents a lack of color. It is considered in many cultures as bad luck, such as a black cat crossing your path, but the late musician Johnny Cash, preferred it as the main color choice of his wardrobe. He even wrote a song about why he favored the shade. Since black is the result of an absence of color, there is only one similar color produced by Crayola, outer space, which has a charcoal tint.