Community Corner

What Does Black & Orange Say About Woburn?

Patch consulted a color theorist to find out what the city's colors say about Woburn.

 

Ever wonder what your favorite color says about you? How about the city's colors?

Woburn has been proudly black and orange for years. But what do those colors say about the city?

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According to Kate Smith, a color expert with Sensational Color Pro, colors can say a lot about a person, product, or company. Using Smith's pyschology of colors theory, Woburn Patch applies it to the city's choice of colors for the high school, youth sports and, well, just about everything!

Woburn: Black and Orange

Find out what's happening in Woburnwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Orange—Known as a warm color, orange is "controversial," according to Smith. You love it or hate it, but no matter what, it "radiates warmth and energy." Orange lovers are "fun-loving, talkative, fickle, and trendy."

The color orange has a wide berth of meanings around the world. In Ireland, it's associated with the Protestants. In China and Japan, it symbolizes "happiness and love." And the Native Americans believe orange was akin to "kinship."

Black—On the other hand, black is "authoritative and powerful," says Smith. It always evokes strong emotions, partly because the lack of color represents a void or emptiness.

The color black can make us feel "inconspicuous" and also represent both "potential and possibility." In other cultures, black has several meanings: Chinese believe black is associated with water, north and winter; it is also the universal symbol for mourning. But it's not all doom and gloom with black. It also represents "sophistication and power."

The conclusion: Woburn is clearly in charge, according to its colors. We are powerful, authoritative and controversial, but we also have a strong community kinship. We're fun, trendy and sophisticated.

What do you think, Woburn? Do our city's colors really show our true colors? Tell us in the comments!

Thanksgiving is coming up and that got us thinking about our rivals in  Winchester. They're red and black... So we already know that they think they're powerful and sophisticated like us. But what about the red? Well, red is "inherently exciting" and "increases enthusiasm." (It also can increase your blood pressure because it stimulates energy.) In other cultures, red is associated with gods or deities, or the "privileged class." 

The conclusion: Winchester thinks it's exciting, enthusiastic and powerful.

We beg to differ!


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