International Color Day (March 21st)

Pervasive in nature and based on the electromagnetic spectrum that the human eye can behold, color is not only about beauty but it is deeply embedded in Science. Learn more about and show appreciation for this aspect of visual perception by celebrating International Color Day!

History of International Color Day

Since 2009, International Color Day has been established as a time to pay more attention to and show appreciation for the world as it is in living color. The day was founded by the International Color Association, which is abbreviated A/C for its French name, Association Internationale de la Couleur.

Proposed by the Portuguese Color Association at an international gathering, this date was chosen particularly as it related to the spring equinox. The equinox marks the time in this half of the year when the length of the daylight is almost the same as the length of the nighttime, providing symbolic relevance as the contrast of light and shadow is considered not only in the rainbow but also in human cultures.

In 2012, at the meeting of the International Color Association held in Japan, the logo was adopted consisting of a double circle with colorful slashes on one side and black slashes on the other side. The two circles together were meant to represent an eye to point everyone toward International Color Day.

How to Celebrate International Color Day

Show some love for the range and variety of color by celebrating International Color Day with some of these activities:

Attend an Art Exhibit

Color embodies so many different parts of the universe and certainly not the least of these is the art world. Perhaps a riveting activity to honor International Color Day would be to head over to an art museum or gallery and spend some time pondering some of the colorful works that are on display, whether painting, sculptures, photography or some other form of art.

Learn More About Color

Some people might think that knowing the colors of the rainbow or the color wheel is enough in the world. But those who seek to grow their knowledge of color in honor of International Color Day might want to dive a bit deeper into this world of color, shade, light and dark.

Check out some of these interesting facts about color to get involved with the day:

• The human eye can see about 10 million variations of color.
• Colors have the power to change a person’s mood.
• Synesthesia is when a person can see certain numbers, letters or even days as colors.
• The color wheel was invented by Sir Isaac Newton.

Join a Color Association

The founding organization of this day, the International Color Association, has a number of different national chapters that encourage members to join. For instance, in the US, people can join the Inter-Society Color Council, or in the UK it is called The Colour Group, Great Britain.

Color professionals or amateurs can check out these or other national chapters that offer connections for those who seek to advance their knowledge of color as it relates to art, Science, industry and design. Many of these organizations have annual events that invite members to join with conferences, seminars, workshops, and much more – all around the common theme of color.