On Chinese New Year, the color red is splayed across displays and banners throughout the world. It is a looming presence at festivities, often accompanied by an accent of gold.
Unbeknownst to many, the garish use of red is a modern alteration to Chinese traditions that only came about after 1949, when the communists popularized it as a symbol of bloodshed.
In ancient China, the color red was used sparingly to accentuate details. Even the Han Dynasty, which was associated with the element of fire, did not wear out the color, according to Dr. Zhang Tian Liang, who teaches Chinese history at Fei Tian College in upstate New York.
The Chinese Communist Party has overused it in every aspect of Chinese society in the same manner it spreads its propaganda, according to Dr. Zhang.
