Climate Action
Color Me Green
March 17, 2025
St. Patrick’s Day is famously associated with the color green. From shamrock smoothies to green soda, decorations, bunting, green cake icing and lime candy — all can be found coated in shades of emerald. But, why is the color green so closely linked to Ireland?
While some folklore suggests that wearing the color green in Ireland makes one invisible to leprechauns, the roots of the human obsession with the word and the color are much more universal than just St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.
Green Luck Charm
According to some linguists, our modern word “green” originates from the Old English word “grēne,” which, quite fittingly, means to grow. By the 12th century, the word evolved to describe the color of living plants and the foliage.
Green pigment gained popularity in art during the 4th Dynasty, over 4,000 years ago, due to Egyptian tomb paintings. To create this hue, ancient Egyptians commonly used a mineral called malachite. Malachite is a copper carbonate mineral that turns green when it is exposed to high temperatures and acid.
In the ancient Egyptian, The Book of the Dead, which essentially showed human beings and Pharaohs alike how to get to heaven, Osiris, the God of fertility and agriculture, is depicted with green skin. He was often portrayed alongside different symbols of crops like the flowering stalk of a papyrus plant. As Osiris was understood to be infused with the earth, Egyptians worshiped him for his role in flooding the Nile River, which left the soil enriched with nutrients and brought bountiful harvests to those who lived close to the river.
Many, many centuries later, green began to symbolize the rise of the middle class. People who worked as merchants, bankers, and the gentry were painted in greens to represent growth and freshness. Famously, The Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van Eyck used a bright green for the woman’s dress to highlight the couple’s growing status and wealth.
Simultaneously, green became more prevalent in other European art to also reference nature. The French Impressionists in the 19th century embraced divisionism and the desire to capture light and often used green in their paintings. The Water Lily Pond by Oscar-Claude Monet, for example, uses a fusion of the various shades of green to capture how light blends the foliage with the skies and the foreground. The use of green in these paintings creates a feeling of peace and harmony, enabling viewers to form a stronger connection with nature.
The Green Spirit
Green goes further than just portraying nature; the color itself evokes a sense of calmness. Green hues have been shown to improve people’s mood and it is believed that its association with natural landscapes helps maintain low blood pressure. In doing so, this simple color helps create a more stress-free mood that benefits overall well-being. For this reason, when green foliage and leaves disappear during the winter season, people may experience a dip in energy and mood. To combat this, color psychology experts suggest incorporating bright colors into our lives to boost dopamine levels. On that account, humans need the green pigment found in plants for both survival and happiness.
A Movement of Green, a Heart of Gold
Given how much the color green is associated with nature, it comes as no surprise that green has become the color of the environmental movement. Environmental and political organizations around the world have adopted it in both name and hue — from Greenpeace to the Greens in Germany, the Green Party in the U.S., and the Green Alliance in Colombia.
However, the color has been co-opted by more than just politics. Brands also specifically use the color green to suggest that their products are eco-friendly. Alternatively, they might incorporate green sceneries or eco-themed packaging to portray a false perception of sustainability. This phenomenon has even developed a green-related word itself: greenwashing. Greenwashing happens when a company presents itself as sustainably-minded while simultaneously perpetuating environmental abuses.
From its inception, green has always been synonymous with the richness of the environment and the beauty and power of nature. Remember you can make a real GREEN difference by advocating for positive and peaceful environmental action through local change. By signing EARTHDAY.ORG’s Renewable Energy Campaign petition, you are committing to genuine green development to protect the planet and urging your local leaders to invest in renewable energy like solar and wind.
Green represents our collective responsibility to protect the environment. This Earth Day, take action by participating in Earth Action Day. Whether it’s joining a local event, reducing waste, joining the Great Global Cleanup, or advocating for environmental policies to your neighbors and community – every effort counts.
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