Maybe it’s simply because the color red is ubiquitous during the Christmas season, or because San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, is imbued with warm colors from amber, peach and terra cotta walls to hot pink bougainvilleas, that inspired me to share a few cool — I mean, warm photos.

“RED!!!” is dedicated to this holiday season. While two here relate to Xmas, I’m also offering images from various parts of the world such as Italy, Bhutan, Cuba, the US and of course, Mexico where we live during this season..

This leads me to mentioning that the poinsettia, aka Flor de Noche Buena or Christmas Tree Flower is indigenous to Mexico. It was brought north in 1825 by the first US ambassador to Mexico, Joel Roberts Poinsett. Of interest from a botanical point of view is that, like trilliums, what appear to be flowers are actually leaves. And, just below, is the majestic blue agave set against a deliciously stunning cardinal red wall.

And now in this slide show here we travel to Havana, Cuba and the Amalfi Coast of Italy:

Shades of Red:

Apparently, in Russia, the word "red" simply means beautiful. I would agree. In English — and no doubt Russian as well, we also partake in a vast array of words such as cardinal, vermillion, crimson, carmine, garnet, coral, and rose, to name a few. Two refer to birds’ names: the cardinal and vermilion flycatcher, and the third, carmine, relates to carminic acid produced by the insect, cochineal. As the Spanish conquistadores soon discovered, the cochineal was the source of the Mayans’ glorious red dye that became a European sensation in the 1500’s. But more about this later…

Closer to my home up north is our traditional “barn red”. As it happens many moons ago, I chose it for our rather drab looking white New England farm house in the Berkshires, MA. Just below are barns from a sheep farm down the road:

Symbolism of the Color Red:

Aside from offering visual pleasures, colors are associated with complex cultural and symbolic meanings. On the most fundamental level, red has a highly visceral connotation. After all, our blood is red. It should come as no surprise that red is associated with primal energy: heat, fire and anger. Its intensity makes it the international color for “Stop” (even though the eye perceives yellow more rapidly). Ironically, a red light district instead means “come hither.”

All over the world, red is iconic for royalty, religion, nationalism and has the honor of being the most prevalent color in flags. It’s also seen in humanitarian organizations, such as the Red Cross and Red Crescent in the Middle East. However, it signifies in most parts of the world, passionate love. In the West — and probably all over the world by now, we offer red roses to our loved ones on Valentines Day, while drug stores overflow with red plastic and red paper hearts.

Roses need not be confined though to one day a year. Below are rose petals scattered with chamomile on a street for a Mexican Easter procession.

Red also holds a powerful symbolism in Asia. Buddhist monks of many regions wear flowing red robes. The color used in many rituals, it is also predominant in Tibetan paintings or thangkas. For millennia in China, red has signified good luck, happiness, wealth and joy. Bridal dresses in China are not white but red, representing vitality and fertility. And, it is forbidden to wear red at funerals.

A Little History:

Producing what became known in the 16th century as “carmine” for pigments is a fascinating story of botany, anthropology, history and commerce between the New World and Europe. Who would know that such a superior source for a red dye and paint could stem from an insect, the cochineal? Discovered and developed by the Mayans, it was highly prized as a way to pay tribute to nobles and priests for centuries.

Stemming from the cochineal insect that lives and feeds exclusively on Opuntia or prickly pear cactus, this dye was later traded and coveted throughout the world for its superior quality for both textile makers and artists alike. Intrigued by how such a rich, saturated color could be manufactured, the conquistadores only slowly came to learn of its source as the pre-Columbians managed to keep it “underwraps”. Soon to be in high demand in Europe and later Asia, it became, after silver, the most valued export from what New Spain. By the late 16th century, it was even quoted on both the London and Amsterdam Stock Exchange.

Was this another tulip craze soon to collapse? No, it endured for centuries as a monopoly for Mexico, particularly Oaxaca, until the advent of artificial dyes in the mid-nineteenth century. Today, it’s experiencing a resurgence due to the demand for natural and safer lipstick dyes among other. Fortunately, it also continues to be used in Oaxacan textiles and rugs.

One can’t escape red in San Miguel de Allende. While huge red Xmas balls may adorn old pay phones and a red Navaho blanket might be found wrapped atop a red Harley Davidson, by spring, Azteca dancers will celebrate red in all their feather regalia.

RED!!!

RED!!!

Shades of Red:

Symbolism of the Color Red:

A Little History:

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