Here is a colorful journey of an accidental discovery, rarest car color, and a day designated to celebrate the color of the royalty.
Some people might argue that purple is not a real color, but throughout history, several religions and cultures have considered purple the color of luxury and royalty. Purple and its shades are fabulously unique. Here are some fun facts about the color for the purple-loving community.
Purple dye was discovered accidentally.
Purple dye was created by accident. William Henry Perkin, in 1856, was trying to synthesize quinine (a Victorian treatment for malaria) at the age of 18. But he accidentally created a purple liquid. It was a significant discovery, as until this moment, purple was so expensive that it was only worn by the church and royalty. The first time purple pigment was created from the mucus of sea snails and it had taken nearly 12,000 snails to produce just one gram of the color. So we should be grateful to Perkin for introducing purple to the masses, which further enabled the creation of various other tones, tints, and shades that we see today.
The cultural significance of purple.
Purple being so rare, the Romans declared the colour a status symbol. Julius Caesar declared that purple could only be worn by him. Queen Elizabeth I had worn purple to her coronation banquet. Her coffin was also draped in purple velvet. From these times, purple in the west began to be associated as the colour of royalty.
Purple has many names.
The pigment discovered by Perkin was called mauve (the French word for a purple flower). Most of the shades of purple are named after nature, like violet, heather, lavender, lilac, and aubergine.
March 26 is celebrated as Purple Day
This day was founded by Cassidy Megan of Nova Scotia, Canada, in 2008. Purple Day was created and is celebrated on March 26 to raise awareness about epilepsy.
Only one nation has purple on its flag: Dominica.
Most of the flags have common colors like blue, red, white, green, or black. There is however just one country with purple on its flag and that is Dominica. The flag depicts a parrot with a purple head and chest.
The rarest car color in the world.
Have you ever spotted a purple car? Apparently, purple is the rarest car color, given we only consider the standard colors available in various countries. It seems like if you want to own a purple car, you will have to opt for customization.
Purple and its numerous shades connect us with the part of ourselves that is regal.
