Sarah’s obsessed with yellow. I mean, properly obsessed. Yellow coats, yellow shoes, yellow everything. I used to take the piss out of her for it. “You look like a walking banana,” I’d say. She’d just laugh.
Then I got curious. Started asking random people what they thought about colours and friendship. Proper weird conversations in coffee shops and bus stops. But the answers? Mental.
I Did My Own Experiment (Sort Of)
Right, so I’m not a scientist or anything. But I was bored one weekend and decided to ask people stuff. Went to three different shopping centres. Asked about 80 people this question: what colour means friendship to you?
Most people looked at me like I was barmy. Fair enough. But the ones who answered? They all said similar things.
Yellow won. By miles. “It’s happy,” said this woman in Tesco. “Makes me think of my best mate Jenny.”
“Sunshine colour,” said a bloke waiting for the bus. “Like my daughter’s smile.”
Even the teenagers said yellow. Though they kept saying “lowkey” and “vibes”, which I didn’t understand.
Sarah Was Right (Don’t Tell Her I Said That)
Turns out yellow really is the friendship colour. Not because some marketing person decided it. Because our brains are weird.
There’s this thing called colour psychology. Sounds posh, but it’s just how colours make us feel. Yellow makes people feel good. Simple as that. Yellow makes people feel good. Simple as that. It’s actually considered the colour that most universally represents friendship, and what colour represents best friends varies slightly, but yellow consistently tops the list.
My mate Dave painted his kitchen yellow last month. Now everyone hangs out there. Before, we’d just grab a beer and leave. Now we stay for hours chatting rubbish. The yellow did that.
But here’s the thing: too much yellow makes you mental. Like, proper anxious. That’s why McDonald’s mixes it with red. Stops you from going completely barmy from all the brightness.
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Friendship Colours Across Different Cultures
What’s fascinating is that whilst yellow is the friendship colour in most Western countries, different cultures celebrate friendship with different colours. In Japan, yellow flowers, including roses, are associated with harmony and prosperity, making a yellow rose representing friendship particularly meaningful as a gesture of goodwill. In traditional Chinese culture, the colour of the friendship flower shifted meanings over time, though yellow is now associated with happiness and health.
In some Eastern cultures, red takes on a completely different role. Red represents strong, loyal friendships in certain Asian traditions, and friends exchange red-coloured gifts as tokens of commitment. Meanwhile, in parts of South America, vibrant orange and turquoise represent festive, lively friendships filled with celebration. It’s brilliant how a simple colour can carry such a different weight depending on where you are in the world.
Blue: The Boring But Brilliant Choice
Blue came second in my made-up survey. People kept saying “trustworthy” and “reliable”. A bit boring, but fair.
The blue colour meaning in friendship is all about stability and trust, which is exactly what long-lasting friendships are built on. Think about blue things. Sky. Sea. Police uniforms. Your nan’s favourite cardigan. All dependable stuff, innit?
My dad’s mate Colin always wears blue. Navy jumpers, blue jeans, blue everything. They’ve been mates for 40 years. Maybe that’s why. Blue represents loyalty and dependability, the kind of friend who says, “I’m not going anywhere.”
Not exciting like yellow. But solid. Like a proper friendship should be.
Pink: Not Just for Girls (Obviously)
Right, before you roll your eyes, pink’s actually brilliant for friendship. It’s red but calmer. Like someone turned down the volume on anger and cranked up the love.
My sister and her mates all wear pink stuff. Pink nail varnish, pink bags, pink phone cases. They’re 35 and still doing it. Started when they were 16 at college.
“Pink makes me think of caring,” Sarah told me. (Different Sarah, not yellow Sarah). “Like when your mum gives you a cuddle.”
The what colour represents friendship and love question often brings up pink, which symbolises deep care and compassion. There’s even this pink they use in prisons to calm people down. Works better than shouting, apparently.
Purple: The Admiration Colour
Interestingly, purple colour in friendship is often overlooked, but it’s actually quite special. Purple represents deep admiration, respect, and even mystique. It’s not just any friendship, it’s the kind where you truly revere someone. In flower language, purple roses symbolise the kind of friendship where you adore your mate, where there’s genuine respect alongside affection.
When people think about what colour means friendship and love together, purple comes into play as representing that deeper, more soulful connection less about everyday friendship and more about profound admiration.
Green: The Chilled-Out Mate
Green’s the friendship colour for people who don’t like drama. It’s grass and trees and all that peaceful stuff.
My cousin James has loads of plants. Green everywhere. His flat’s like a jungle. But it’s dead relaxing being there. We all end up around him when someone’s stressed.
Green friends don’t cause aggro. They’re just… there. In a good way. Like a really comfortable sofa.
Orange: The Mental Fun One
Orange didn’t get many votes, but it should’ve. Orange is yellow’s crazy cousin. Still happy but more “let’s do something stupid”. My mate Kelly’s always wearing orange. Orange coat, orange scarf, even orange shoes sometimes. She’s the one who drags us out when we’re feeling sorry for ourselves.
“Come on, stop being miserable,” she’ll say, turning up in head-to-toe orange. And somehow it works.
Orange friends are exhausting but brilliant. It’s like having a personal cheerleader who never shuts up.
Putting It All Together: The Six Colours of Friendship
So here’s the thing: what are the 6 colours of friendship? Yellow, blue, pink, green, orange, and purple each represent different facets of friendship. Together, they make up the spectrum of what friendship can be.
What This Actually Means Then
So what colour means friendship depends on what kind of mate you are, doesn’t it?
If you’re the reliable one, blue’s your colour. If you’re the cheerful one, you’re represented by yellow. The caring one – pink. The fun one – you’re orange.
But honestly? Good friends are all the colours mixed up. Sometimes you need someone to cheer you up (yellow). Sometimes you need someone dependable (blue). Sometimes you just need a hug (pink).
I asked Sarah about this. Yellow Sarah, not pink Sarah.
“I don’t wear yellow because of friendship psychology or whatever,” she said. “I wear it because it makes me feel good. And when I feel good, I’m a better mate.”
Fair point.
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The Truth About Friendship Colours
Here’s what I learned from my weird weekend experiment: What colour means friendship?
Colours don’t make friendships. People do. But colours help us show what kind of friend we want to be.
Yellow says, “I want to make you happy.” Blue says, “You can count on me.”
Pink says, “I care about you.” Green says, “I’m here if you need me.” Orange says, “Let’s have some fun.” Purple says, “I admire you deeply.”
My wardrobe’s mostly black and grey. What does that say about me as a mate? Probably that I’m miserable and boring. Note to self: buy something colourful.
The Ultimate Gift – Sending Friendship Flowers
One of the most meaningful ways to express these colour meanings is through flowers. What is the colour of the friendship flower? Officially, it’s the yellow rose. The yellow rose, representing friendship, is universal across flower language (floriography), symbolising platonic love, companionship, and care.
In early Korean and Japanese cultures, sending a yellow rose implied a desire for friendship without romantic intent. It’s brilliant, really just a single flower that says everything you need to say. Get your mate a yellow rose on their birthday instead of boring old words, and you’ve already won half the battle.
But if you’re being more creative, pink and white roses together symbolise caring friendship; purple roses convey admiration and respect; white roses represent loyalty and new beginnings. Even orange roses carry a message of affection and friendship blended.
Why This Matters (If It Does)
Does any of this actually matter? Probably not. Good friends will be good friends whatever they wear.
But it’s interesting, isn’t it? How we use colours to show parts of our personality. How certain colours make us feel things.
Next time you’re at the card shop picking out one for your best mate’s birthday, perhaps consider what colour sits best. Yellow for laughs, blue for loyalty, and pink for caring. Or just buy whatever’s cheapest. They probably won’t notice anyway.
But Sarah noticed that last year I got her a blue birthday card, not yellow. “Trying to tell me something?” she asked, grinning. Maybe I was. Blue must have been just what our friendship needed at that time.
A little bit of stability to counteract all her thought yellow energy. Twenty years of friendship, and still we learn about each other. That’s probably the point.
