Red for Pentecost

Pentecost Sunday approaches so I'm thinking about the color red. Technically, red is used only for the Sunday of Pentecost, although some churches use red for the Sundays between Easter and Pentecost Sunday. The red symbolizes both the fire of Pentecost as well as the apostles and early followers of Jesus who were gathered in the Upper Room for the empowerment from God to proclaim the Gospel throughout the world.Here are a few other interesting bits of 'red' trivia:

• As a former painter I know that the pigment in paint is a special one. Originally the pigment was squeezed out of insects and because of this tedious process there was an industry that traded and bartered for this precious item.

• Wearing red coats was the exclusive right of the nobility in medieval times and the red robes of kings, cardinals, judges and executioners announced their power over life and death.

• The hair of the Virgin Mary and the robes of Angels were depicted red in medieval paintings.

• Red is included in some colorful phrases: Paint the town red, to see red, in the red, red-letter day, red-neck, red tape, red-hot, not worth a red cent, caught red-handed, red-carpet treatment, better dead than red.

• Pentecost stoles are our second best selling item at Carrot Top Studio. Because they are typically only worn once a year we've found this very itneresting. Maybe it's because psycholigcally red is teh most emotionally intense color?
  

Happy Pentecost!