We’re just into April, a month of transition. Easter is upon us, we hope the end of snow is here, and we look forward to growth and new life as the temperatures warm. I started a thought exercise one day, trying to come up with the colors that best represent each month of the year. For some of these, I thought of a game we played a few months ago called Hues and Cues, which is based on the numerous variations of the basic colors we all learned in art class.
We’ll start with April since that’s where we are right now. What color is April? Sky blue is the answer. Things are lightening up in the world, and we see the sun a bit more, but there are still some dregs of winter to start the month. It’s not as bright as we’d like it, but we can see more of what’s coming. Plus, with Easter nearly always falling in April, a pastel color seems appropriate due to the color palette we see associated with that holiday.
On to May, where the basic color green seems to be right. The grass is growing, crops are starting to pop up in the fields, and the leaves are fresh on our trees. Everywhere you look, spring has sprung, and winter should be in the rearview mirror. (Except that one year on May 2, but let’s hope that was a one-time aberration!) No need for a shade of green here, the base color works well.
June seemed like a month that a shade of blue should be used, so let’s go with azure. It’s a little darker than a typical blue. The depth of the sky tends to entrance us as we look up and enjoy temperatures where we don’t need a jacket. The lakes and rivers also have a glorious appeal to so many, and the azure color they bring attracts many fishermen to enjoy their hobby.
July was tricky, but I settled on red. Part of that is the Fourth of July celebration and flags and fireworks, but it can also be the heat. A red-hot sun might shine down for much of July, sending temperatures soaring and scattering people to air conditioning and/or pools to cool off. Plus, it’s the “heart” of summer, and hearts are red, right?
August has yellow for a color. The sun is out more than any other time of the year, sometimes so much that our grass turns from green to yellow. We might spend as much time outside in the evenings as we can since we know that yellow sun won’t be out late for much longer.
September was a tough one. I decided maize was the best color. Maize is a combination of yellow and orange, and there is actually some consternation out there on exactly which hue it is. The University of Michigan has blue and maize as its colors, but that shade of maize differs from some other places that use it. Either way, as the crops get closer to harvesting, it seemed a good color to use.
It’s also good because we transition back to school, and since October’s color is orange, that transition is seen from summer to fall as we move to the tenth month. Orange is there for an obvious reason, dealing with pumpkins and Halloween. But we also see that color come into the leaves of our trees and some of the crops as they wither before the temperatures that are starting to fall.
November’s color is brown. The leaves have pretty much gone this route if they’re still hanging on. Turkeys are being prepared for Thanksgiving, and our grass has gone into hibernation. Things seem to slog outside as the weather can’t figure out if it wants to stay somewhat reasonable or jump too quickly to winter.
December took some cogitating, but I landed on silver. The first real snowfall of the season probably happens in this month, and at first, we think it’s beautiful. The snow glints in the late afternoon sunshine, just like the ornaments and presents with the Christmas tree. There is a shininess about December with Christmas and other holidays that occur.
January is just white. It feels like a month without color. By this time, I’m sick of snow, even though I know there is plenty more to come. When the sun does appear, it’s almost blinding, reflecting off the white snow that covers the ground.
February is pink, mainly for Valentine’s Day. It seems like wherever you go that month, you see pink and shades of red. We might perk up a bit at the sight of those happy colors, hoping that winter might be close to an end. Hoping, but knowing better.
Finally, March is gray. You might think green for St. Patrick’s Day, but March just feels like a dull, difficult month. Again, we get hints that winter might be done, only to get smoked by a storm again. The snow that is out there is dirty. Thus, gray it is.
It was fun working my brain around my vision of the months. You might have some different ideas, but that’s what makes these exercises so much fun! Happy Easter to everyone, and enjoy the sky blue of April!
Word of the Week: This week’s word is lambent, which means shining softly and brightly, as in, “The lambent sun of April was enough to entice people back outside for leisurely walks.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!