Blue ribbon

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Blue ribbons are typically a symbol of high quality. The association comes from The Blue Riband, a prize awarded for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by passenger liners and, prior to that from Cordon Bleu, which referred to the blue ribbon worn by the French knightly Order of the Holy Spirit. The spelling "blue riband" is still encountered in most English-speaking countries, but in the United States, the term was altered to blue ribbon, and ribbons of this color came to be awarded for first place in certain athletic or other competitive endeavors (such as county and state fairs).

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It has also been applied to distinguished members of a group or commission who have convened to address a situation or problem; in these cases, the usual usage is "blue ribbon commission" or "blue-ribbon panel".

Fair competitions

A blue ribbon won at a convention Moe Epsilon's blue ribbon.jpg
A blue ribbon won at a convention

In some fair competitions in the U.S., particularly 4-H and FFA livestock and horticultural events, blue ribbons may be awarded to any project or exhibit which meets or exceeds all of a competition's judging criteria. In Canada, New Zealand and Great Britain, blue ribbons are awarded to second place, with red ribbons awarded to first.

The project may not necessarily be the first-place finisher, however. In such cases, a purple ribbon may be given to the champion and the second-place (or reserve) champion.

Usage as an awareness or activism ribbon

Blue ribbons have also been used as awareness ribbons for numerous different causes. Notable examples:

Other uses

Companies and products

See also

Related Research Articles

Pink is the color of a namesake flower that is a pale tint of red. It was first used as a color name in the late 17th century. According to surveys in Europe and the United States, pink is the color most often associated with charm, politeness, sensitivity, tenderness, sweetness, childhood, femininity, and romance. A combination of pink and white is associated with innocence, whereas a combination of pink and black links to eroticism and seduction. In the 21st century, pink is seen as a symbol of femininity, though it has not always been seen this way. In the 1920s, light red, which is similar to pink, was seen as a color that reflected masculinity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ribbon</span> Long, narrow woven textile, used for trimming, belts, filets, and straps of various kinds

A ribbon or riband is a thin band of material, typically cloth but also plastic or sometimes metal, used primarily as decorative binding and tying. Cloth ribbons are made of natural materials such as silk, cotton, and jute and of synthetic materials, such as polyester, nylon, and polypropylene. Ribbon is used for useful, ornamental, and symbolic purposes. Cultures around the world use ribbon in their hair, around the body, and as ornament on non-human animals, buildings, and packaging. Some popular fabrics used to make ribbons are satin, organza, sheer, silk, velvet, and grosgrain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White ribbon</span> Type of awareness ribbon

The white ribbon is an awareness ribbon sometimes used by political movements to signify or spread their beliefs. It is usually worn on garments or represented in information sources such as posters, leaflets, etc.

The yellow ribbon is used for various purposes. It may be worn on a person, placed on a vehicle, around a tree, or for a neck tie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black ribbon</span> Symbol of mourning

A black ribbon is a symbol of remembrance or mourning. It is often worn or put on a public display to express consolation.

The green ribbon can have a variety of symbolic meanings.

The pink ribbon is an international symbol of breast cancer awareness. Pink ribbons, and the color pink in general, identify the wearer or promoter with the breast cancer brand and express moral support for people with breast cancer. Pink ribbons are most commonly seen during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The orange ribbon symbolizes the commitment of animal advocates to wildlife conservation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Awareness ribbon</span> Symbols meant to show support or raise consciousness for a cause

Awareness ribbons are symbols meant to show support or raise consciousness for a cause. Different colors and patterns are associated with different issues.

A brown ribbon is a type of award given to winners of various contests. At county and state fairs in the United States, a brown ribbon is the award for placing eighth in a contest. In Nazi Germany, the "Brown Ribbon" was an annual July horse race run in Munich from 1934 to 1944.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red ribbon</span> Awareness colored symbol

The red ribbon, as an awareness ribbon, is used as the symbol for the solidarity of people living with HIV/AIDS, and for the awareness and prevention of drug abuse and drunk driving.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Breast Cancer Action</span> American organization

Breast Cancer Action (BCAction) is a U.S.-based grassroots education and activist organization driven by and supporting people living with breast cancer. It was founded in 1990 by Elenore Pred, Susan Claymon, Belle Shayer, and Linda Reyes. Based in San Francisco, BCAction is known for understanding breast cancer not as an individual crisis, but a public health emergency, and for their commitment to social justice. The organization's mission is to achieve health justice for all women at risk of and living with breast cancer. BCAction is known for its Think Before You Pink campaign, launched in 2002, which encourages consumers to ask critical questions before buying pink ribbon products and holds corporations accountable for pinkwashing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lint voor Wonden</span> South African military campaign award

The Lint voor Wonden is a South African military campaign award. It was instituted on 21 December 1920 as a retrospective award for Boer veteran officers and men of the 1899–1902 Second Boer War who had been wounded in action.

The blue ribbon is a symbol of high quality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Breast Cancer Awareness Month</span> Annual health campaign

Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM), also referred to in the United States as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM), is an annual international health campaign organized by major breast cancer charities every October to increase awareness of the disease and raise funds for research into its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Breast cancer awareness</span> Effort to raise awareness and reduce the stigma of breast cancer

Breast cancer awareness is an effort to raise awareness and reduce the stigma of breast cancer through education about screening, symptoms, and treatment. Supporters hope that greater knowledge will lead to earlier detection of breast cancer, which is associated with higher long-term survival rates, and that money raised for breast cancer will produce a reliable, permanent cure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pinkwashing (breast cancer)</span> Form of cause marketing that uses a range of pink ribbon logos

Pinkwashing is a form of cause marketing that uses pink ribbon logos. The companies display the pink ribbon logo on products that are known to cause different types of cancer. The Pink ribbon logo symbolizes support for breast cancer-related charities or foundations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zebra print ribbon</span> The zebra print ribbon is used for awareness of rare diseases

The zebra print ribbon is the awareness ribbon for uncommon or rare diseases and cancers including but not limited to neuroendocrine tumors, carcinoid cancer, Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes, Whipple's disease and awareness of other rare diseases, cancers and disorders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gendered associations of pink and blue</span> Cultural attribution of colors to genders

The colors pink and blue are associated with girls and boys respectively in large parts of the Western world.

References

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