Every year, on June 23 National Pink Day is celebrated. As you already guessed, it is a day to celebrate the meaning, beauty, and history, of the pale shade of red. Surveys in both Europe and the U.S. found pink to be most typically associated with femininity, tenderness, and sensitivity. The day celebrates all things pink, from pink being a subject of recent pop culture to interesting facts about the delightful shade throughout time. After all, once famously said, “Whoever said orange is the new pink is seriously disturbed!”
History
The exact origins and celebrations of National Pink Day are lost in time, as is the case with a number of digital-age holidays. As we all know, when combined with white, pink has long been a symbol of femininity, chastity, and grace and it calls up the prurient interests when combined with black.
Starting with recent pop culture, in reverse chronological order, pink, as color and word, has had many uses. In Aerosmith’s 90s-era song – “Pink,” Steven Tyler croons, “Pink on the lips of your lover / “Cause pink is the love you discover…” This is an illustration of the sense of romance and femininity the color has come to represent. But before the 1940s, in the old days, pink was worn by boys in infancy and was thought a “stronger” color than blue.
Back, in the 1700s, we have the first use of the word “pink” to describe pale red, descended from the class of flowers called “the pinks.” Until that, pink was simply that, a flower, and the use of the word referred to a flower in the sense of the paragon or the prime example. As a matter of fact, in Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” the character Mercutio has a line in which he says, “Nay, I am the very pinck of curtesie,” of course meaning he’s the most well-mannered fellow you are likely to find.
Nowadays it is not uncommon for men to wear a couple of pink dress shirts, a phenomenon that developed in the 1980s when the mustard-yellows and browns of the 70s eventually fell out of fashion. Possibly pink business clothing was first meant as a solidarity sign with the then-thriving feminist movement.
Timeline of National Pink Day
1680s (“Like a rose in bloom…”) – In reference to the flowers, the phrase “pink-colored,” is first recorded.
1700s (A lighter shade of blood?) – Men who wore embroidered pink clothing were considered masculine and fashionable.
1940s (Conditioned from birth) – The first generation to have gender roles and preferences assigned to them from birth were the Baby Boomers, represented by pink infant clothes for girls, and blue for boys.
2012 (No bullies!) – As a response to homophobic, transphobic bullying in schools, a separate holiday, the International Day of Pink, was started in Nova Scotia, Canada.
Traditions
Mostly representing femininity, pink is a soft romantic color. According to color theory, the warmth of pink adds care and tenderness. Representing hope and caring pink blends the ferocity of red with the peace and soothing nature of a white. It is considered that pink can calm one’s spirit and counter aggression, resentment, and neglect.
In Western societies pink is traditionally assumed to be a girly color, but this is not always the case and this opinion is gradually fading. Pink is associated more with men than with women In Japan, and in Korea, pink represents trust. Pink was avoided in China for many years as the color had Western influences, but pink is welcomed now in the country.
FAQs about National Pink Day
What does pink mean?
Pink is the universal color of love. Pink represents affection, friendship, inner peace, harmony, and approachability.
When was “hot pink” invented?
In 1931, this bright fluorescent pink we associate with that phrase came about as “shocking pink.” It was first mixed by the artist Elsa Schiaparelli.
What is the most masculine image of the color pink?
That would likely be the “Pink Panther” Land Rover Series 2A used by the British Special Air Service [badass commandos] in desert warfare. When viewed at a distance, it was claimed that pink was the best camouflage color against a backdrop of sand.
How To Celebrate National Pink Day?
Wear something pink – Be sure to celebrate pink in all its glory today whether you deck yourself out head to toe, or just add a simple Breast Cancer Awareness ribbon to your lapel.
Stand up for a “pink” cause – You can talk to friends concerning Breast Cancer Awareness or make a donation. Anything from becoming a yearly executive-level donor to the International Day of Pink’s coffers to hanging a poster of the LGBTQ pink triangle in the break room, it is time to “think outside the red.”
Experiment with the hue on canvas – If you do not know what proportions of cadmium red and titanium white make the best shade of pink for your painting, register in a class, or spend time with an artist friend, and talk pink today.
Interesting Facts about The Color Pink
“We don’t need no education” – Lead singer, Syd Barrett of the famous trip-rock band Pink Floyd had chosen his band’s name. He combined two old-time blues artists’ names, Pink Anderson and Floyd Council.
Wardrobe malfunction – A portion of the MTV video for the 1997 Aerosmith song “Pink” had to be edited out because it showed a woman’s bare breast.
Why We Love National Pink Day
The color is just plain pretty – Pink is pretty whether you are the one wearing it or the one it’s being worn for, from hair to dresses and nails, exuding an air of peaceful beauty laced with poise and confidence.
It raises awareness for pink causes – Our friends, colleagues, and peers who identify as LBGTQ need support and encouragement, especially in a rocky political climate. As members of American society, National Pink Day reminds us that it’s our responsibility to join in the fight, too.
It reminds us of flowers – It is a good day for carnations, for subtly-hued sunrises, for love notes. It’s a holiday we love to celebrate, and a glass of rosé never hurts in this case.
