June: The Color Red

Red
Sunday’s color is red. 


Red has always been a prevalent color in my life. Growing up I was nieve in thinking that red if just a color, and the recurrence in events, opportunities, and general life was just a coincidence. 
When I moved to Thailand, I discovered that the color Red holds so much meaning in my life and the lives of others. 
The red in the Thai flag represents “The red stripes represent Thailand's blood spilt in its bid to maintain independence.”
Thailand is one of the few countries in the world that always has independence from foreign powers. Thailand has always been a strong, independent nation with rich culture and history. Thailand has always been able to maintain independence while also sharing their culture with the world AND welcoming and appreciating other foreign cultures. Thailand will continue to grow as a strong and unique nation. 


Next, the meaning behind the importance of the color red on a Sunday is because of the god Surya. According to ancient customs in Thailand, there is an astrological rule (which has influence from Hindu mythology) that assigns a color to each day of the week based on the color of the God who protects the day or Navagraha. For example, the God of Sunday is Surya who has the color red. Surya is the sun and/or solar deity that is seen in various religions taking the form Helios (the greek equivalent) and Sol (the norse and roman equivalent). 


And then another connection I made was in the Catholic bible in Genesis 1
: God said “let there be light.” The phrase comes from the third verse of the Book of Genesis. In the King James Bible, it reads, in context: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. The first day of creation is represented by Sunday. 


Disclaimer: these are connections I made in regards to my life. I do not have professional experience in religion, mythology, or theology. 


The most impactful realization that red is an important color in my life is the realization that red has always been prominent in my mothers life. During her traditional Thai wedding with my father she wore red, her preferred vehicle color is red, and her choice of clothing (whether she realizes or not) tends to gravitate towards the color red. My mothers favorite color is yellow but she has always loved the bold power of the color red. 


Moving to Thailand has helped me realize the significance of been the smallest things, and I am so fortunate to be able to grow and embrace opportunities through my major life changes. Thank you!