Valentine’s Day was last week and it seems like the only color anywhere is red. Red is associated with love and the holiday of love. All the heart-shaped boxes are red, the flowers are red, everything is red. But why?

As Color Wheel Pro puts it, “red is the color of fire and blood, so it is associated with energy, war, danger, strength, power, determination as well as passion, desire, and love.” There’s the literal aspect of it, that red is the color of blood and the heart.

The color also has a certain reaction. It’s easy to see, increases human metabolism, and raises blood pressure. If you see someone you care about, that also raises your blood pressure.

The power of red is used in many different cultures. In South Africa, it’s the color of mourning – a broken heart is still red. In China, it represents happiness and is even used for good luck.

Some positive connotations with red include: determined, courageous, strong, passionate, stimulating, energetic, assertive, confident, powerful, and driven.

Some negative connotations with red include: Violent, rebellious, fearful, aggressive, angry, tiring, and ruthless.

According to Color Wheel Pro, certain shades of red go with different emotions.

Light red represents joy, passion, sensitivity, and love.

Pink signifies romance, love, and friendship. It denotes feminine qualities and passiveness.

Dark red is associated with vigor, willpower, rage, anger, leadership, courage, longing, malice, and wrath.

Brown suggests stability and denotes masculine qualities.

Reddish-brown is associated with harvest and fall.

The color red can be associated with many different things. It represents a life full of happiness, bravery, power, and joy. However, it can also mean anger or fear. It all depends how you look at it.