Last updated on March 31, 2022
These are the six main colours in Indonesian:
- hitam (black),
- merah (red),
- hijau (green),
- biru (blue),
- putih (white) and
- kuning (yellow).
Color also plays an integral role in Indonesian lives and society. It blends with traditions, customs, and beliefs in the country. For example, red and white, the colors of Indonesian flag, are considered the sacred colors of the nation as they represent the sacrifice and the struggle of the people towards Indonesian independence. Red stands for courage and white stands for purity, sacred.
Green is an official color associated with Islam and courtrooms. It’s because the tablecloths in the courtrooms are always green.
Yellow flag indicates that somebody has died in that area. An ambulance that carries a body to be buried will usually have yellow flags on it. Some stories said that this tradition originated during the Colonialism Era by Netherland in Indonesia. During those time there were many yellow flags with a letter “Q” (Quarantine) which was used as signs for a deadly disease that could cause thousands of deaths.
Toraja, is an ethnic group indigenous to a mountainous region of South Sulawesi, recognizes only four colors: red, white, yellow and black. Black symbolises death and darkness; yellow, God’s blessing and power; white, the colour of flesh and bone symbolising purity; and red, the colour of blood symbolising human life. The pigments are sourced from common materials; black from soot; white from lime; red and yellow from colored earth; and tuak (palm wine) is used to strengthen the colors. These colors are used to paint houses, on carvings, traditional clothing, and tools used for preparing food and traditional ceremonies.
Makassar, an ethnic group that inhabits the southern part of the South Peninsula, Sulawesi, uses color in women’s traditional clothing, Baju Bodo. Its color indicates the age or the dignity of the wearer.