Mourning Colors The World Over

Black is by no means the only color used by man to express grief or
mourning for the dead. In the South Sea Islands the natives express
sorrow and hope by stripes of black and white. Grayish brown, the color
of the earth to which the dead return, is used in Ethiopia. Pale brown,
the color of withered leaves, is the mourning of Persia. Sky-blue, to
express the assured hope that the deceased has gone to heaven, is the
mourning of Syria, Cappadocia, and Armenia. Deep blue in Bokhara. Purple
and violet, to express kings and queens to God, was the color of
mourning for cardinals and kings of France. The color of mourning in
Turkey is violet. White (emblem of hope) is the color of mourning in
China. Henry VIII. wore white for Anne Boleyn. The ladies of ancient
Rome and Sparta wore white. It was the color of mourning in Spain till
1498. Yellow is the color of mourning in Egypt and in Burmah. Anne
Boleyn wore yellow mourning for Catharine of Aragon.

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