This is a partial list of awareness ribbons. The meaning behind an awareness ribbon depends on its colors and pattern. Since many advocacy groups have adopted ribbons as symbols of support or awareness, ribbons, particularly those of a single color, some colors may refer to more than one cause. Some causes may be represented by more than one ribbon.
Ribbon | Color | First use | Author | Meanings |
---|---|---|---|---|
Pink ribbon | October 1992 [1] | Alexandra Penney for Self and Evelyn Lauder [2] | Breast cancer awareness [2] | |
Red ribbon | ? | Heart disease [3] [4] | ||
1985 | Duncan Hunter and Henry Lozano's Camanera Clubs | Substance-abuse awareness [4] including tobacco, alcohol and drugs (Red Ribbon Week is commonly held in American schools.) [5] | ||
June 1991 [6] | Visual AIDS Artists' Caucus (anonymous) [6] | HIV/AIDS awareness [7] | ||
? | Stroke [3] [4] | |||
Maroon ribbon | ? | International Myeloma Foundation | Multiple myeloma awareness [3] [8] | |
Orange ribbon | ? | Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) [9] [4] | ||
? | Amplified musculoskeletal pain syndrome, a chronic pain condition consisting of four different disorders, including complex regional pain syndrome. [9] [4] - the newer multicolored orange/red flame is also used [4] | |||
? | Cultural diversity [10] [4] [3] | |||
? | Kidney cancer [11] [12] – alternative to the green ribbon | |||
? | Gun violence protests, including after the Parkland shootings [13] [14] | |||
? | Leukemia & Lymphoma Society | Leukemia awareness [8] [10] [12] | ||
? | Malnutrition/hunger [10] [3] | |||
? | Multiple Sclerosis International Federation | Multiple sclerosis awareness [4] [15] | ||
? | Self-injury awareness/self-harm awareness [10] [4] | |||
? | Work Zone Safety Awareness [16] [17] [18] [19] | |||
Yellow ribbon | ? | Traditional (in the U.S. and in Canada) symbol of support for military forces, especially those deployed overseas and in conflicts, including prisoners of war and those missing in action. [3] | ||
1994 [20] | International Association for Suicide Prevention, Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program | Suicide prevention [21] [3] | ||
? | Endometriosis awareness [4] [10] [22] | |||
2012–2014 [23] | Rural Fire Brigades Association Queensland [23] | Rural Fire Service Queensland – A symbol of unilateral support of Rural Fire Brigades across the state of Queensland, Australia [23] | ||
2014 | Yellow Ribbon Campaign and Sewol Ferry Protest Movement | Sinking of South Korean ferry MV Sewol in 2014 which resulted in more than 300 deaths. [24] | ||
2014 | Supporters of 2014 Hong Kong protests [25] | |||
2018 | Protest against imprisonment of Catalan independence movement leaders during the Catalan crisis [26] | |||
2022 | Yellow Ribbon | Resistance movement in the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, created in April 2022 after the Russian military invasion. The goal of the movement is informational resistance to the Russian occupiers [27] | ||
2023 | Bring Them Home Now | Advocating safe return of the hostages taken by Hamas in its attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. [28] | ||
Bright green ribbon | ? | Climate change/global warming [29] | ||
Lime green ribbon | Lyme disease, Post-Treatment Lyme Disease [30] [4] [3] | |||
? | Non-Hodgkin lymphoma awareness [31] [32] [3] | |||
Green ribbon | ? | Bipolar disorder (manic depression) [8] | ||
? | Cerebral palsy [4] [33] | |||
? | Depression [8] | |||
? | Kidney cancer – alternative to the orange ribbon, kidney disease [4] [33] [10] [8] | |||
? | Mitochondrial disease awareness [34] [4] | |||
? | Mental health awareness and mental illness awareness [35] [36] [4] | |||
2022 | Anti-war movement in Russia protesting against the 2022 invasion of Ukraine [37] | |||
Jade ribbon | 2001 | Jade Ribbon Campaign awareness about hepatitis B and liver cancer [38] [4] | ||
Teal ribbon | ? | Cervical cancer [3] [4] [8] an alternative is the Teal and White ribbon [4] | ||
2001 | Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) | Sexual assault/sexual abuse including Military Sexual Trauma [39] [3] [4] [8] [40] | ||
? | Food allergies [3] [4] | |||
? | Ovarian cancer [41] [3] [4] [8] [42] | |||
? | Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) [4] [10] | |||
? | Post-traumatic Stress Disorder [8] [4] | |||
2014 [43] | Trigeminal neuralgia [43] | |||
? | Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) [44] | |||
? | Tsunami victims [3] [4] [10] | |||
? | Uterine cancer [3] [4] [8] | |||
Turquoise ribbon | ? | Addiction recovery [8] [4] – alternative to red for substance use | ||
? | Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) [8] [4] | |||
? | Dysautonomia [4] [9] | |||
? | Native American and Native American reparations [3] | |||
Light blue ribbon | ? | Childhood cancer [10] [4] | ||
? | Men's health [4] [10] | |||
Prostate cancer [3] [4] [12] | ||||
Blue ribbon | ? | Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) [9] [4] [10] | ||
? | Autism spectrum [45] although the autism infinity symbol is often used [4] | |||
? | Hydrocephalus [9] [4] | |||
? | Mourning and honoring a police officer killed in the line of duty. [46] [47] [48] [49] | |||
1993 | Tom Hennessy [50] | Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/ | ||
1996 | Electronic Freedom Foundation's Blue Ribbon Online Free Speech Campaign | Support of freedom of speech, press, freedom of association online, and protesting against Internet censorship [54] [55] [56] | ||
? | Parkinson's disease awareness [57] | |||
? | Canada's National Non-Smoking Week [58] [59] [60] | |||
? | "Stand With ACLU" initiative [61] | |||
2014 | Supporters of government officials and police during the 2014 Hong Kong protests. [25] | |||
Dark blue ribbon | Arthritis [9] [4] [10] [3] | |||
? | Child abuse prevention [3] [8] [4] [62] | |||
? | Colon/Colorectal cancer awareness [12] [63] | |||
Purple ribbon | ? | Alzheimer's awareness [64] [8] [10] [3] | ||
? | Domestic violence/intimate relationship violence [8] [10] [4] [40] | |||
? | Fibromyalgia [10] [4] | |||
? | Opioid crisis awareness – Notably worn by various Senators during President Donald Trump's 2018 State of the Union address. [65] | |||
? | Month of the Military Child, Celebrating Military Kids [66] | |||
? | Spirit Day and victims of homophobia [67] [8] | |||
? | Epilepsy awareness [68] [4] | |||
? | Lupus Awareness Month (May) [69] [70] [4] [10] | |||
? | Pancreatic cancer [71] [8] [10] [4] [12] | |||
? | Thyroid cancer [8] | |||
? | Leiomyosarcoma [72] [73] | |||
Periwinkle ribbon | ? | Eating disorders [3] [4] | ||
? | Esophageal cancer [3] | |||
? | Pulmonary hypertension [3] [4] | |||
Lavender ribbon | ? | Craniosynostosis [4] [9] | ||
? | Epilepsy [4] [3] | |||
? | General cancer awareness [4] [3] | |||
? | Rett Syndrome [4] [3] | |||
Silver ribbon | ? | Parkinson's Disease [4] [8] | ||
1993 | Jean Singleton [74] | Schizophrenia, brain illness and brain disorders [74] | ||
Gray ribbon | ? | Asthma [8] [4] | ||
? | Brain Tumor Awareness Month/Brain Cancer Awareness [75] [63] [8] [4] | |||
? | Borderline personality disorder [8] [4] | |||
? | Diabetes Awareness Month [8] [4] | |||
White ribbon | ? | Bone cancer [10] [4] [3] | ||
? | Lung disease including cancer [10] [4] | |||
? | Peace [4] [8] [3] | |||
1991 | White Ribbon Campaign, of men and boys working to end male violence against women and girls [10] | Violence against women [53] [8] | ||
Black ribbon | ? | Typically a sign of mourning, or otherwise in memoriam [76] [8] [3] | ||
? | Melanoma (skin cancer) [11] [8] [3] [12] | |||
? | Awareness of the POW/MIA issue in the US [76] [3] | |||
? | Black Ribbon Initiative awareness and public outreach program of Madhya Pradesh Police (India) to make all sections of society computer security aware and alert [77] | |||
? | Anti-violence campaign in New Zealand [78] | |||
? | Gang prevention [3] [10] [8] | |||
2015 | Black Ribbon Movement of medical professions and medical students against the appointment of military officers to positions within Ministry of Health in Myanmar (Burma) in August 2015 [79] | |||
Zebra print ribbon | ? | Carcinoid cancer [12] [4] | ||
? | Neuroendocrine tumors (NET) [80] [4] | |||
? | Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes (EDS) [81] [4] | |||
2008 | EURODIS | Rare diseases, especially on Rare Disease Day [82] [4] | ||
Houndstooth ribbon | 2011 | Relief efforts in Tuscaloosa and northern Alabama following 27 April 2011 tornado (The pattern evokes former University of Alabama head football coach Bear Bryant, an icon of the city and its area.) [83] | ||
Orange and black ribbon | 1769 1945 | Ribbon of Saint George; commemoration of World War II in post-Soviet countries [84] [85] | ||
Pink and blue ribbon | ? | Infant and pre-natal death or premature birth [10] [4] [53] | ||
Hydrocephalus two tone blue ribbon | ? | Hydrocephalus [9] [4] | ||
Blue denim ribbon | 1992 | Chronic Granulomatous Disorder Society in the UK [86] | Hereditary/genetic diseases – Jeans for Genes campaign [9] [86] [4] | |
Red, white and blue ribbon | 2011 | Used in Omaha, Nebraska, after a deadly shooting at Millard South High School (Matches to the school's colors) [87] | ||
Awareness ribbon for Parkinson's UK | ? | Parkinson's [88] |
Color blindness or color vision deficiency (CVD) is the decreased ability to see color or differences in color. The severity of color blindness ranges from mostly unnoticeable to full absence of color perception. Color blindness is usually an inherited problem or variation in the functionality of one or more of the three classes of cone cells in the retina, which mediate color vision. The most common form is caused by a genetic condition called congenital red–green color blindness, which affects up to 1 in 12 males (8%) and 1 in 200 females (0.5%). The condition is more prevalent in males, because the opsin genes responsible are located on the X chromosome. Rarer genetic conditions causing color blindness include congenital blue–yellow color blindness, blue cone monochromacy, and achromatopsia. Color blindness can also result from physical or chemical damage to the eye, the optic nerve, parts of the brain, or from medication toxicity. Color vision also naturally degrades in old age.
Pantone LLC is an American limited liability company headquartered in Carlstadt, New Jersey, and best known for its Pantone Matching System (PMS), a proprietary color order system used in a variety of industries, notably graphic design, fashion design, product design, printing, and manufacturing and supporting the management of color from design to production, in physical and digital formats, among coated and uncoated materials, cotton, polyester, nylon and plastics.
A rainbow flag is a multicolored flag consisting of the colors of the rainbow. The designs differ, but many of the colors are based on the seven spectral colors of the visible light spectrum.
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.
M&M's are color-varied sugar-coated dragée chocolate confectionery, each of which has the letter "m" printed in lower case in white on one side, consisting of a candy shell surrounding a filling which varies depending upon the variety of M&M's. The original candy has a semi-sweet chocolate filling which, upon introduction of other variations, was branded as the "plain, normal" variety. Peanut M&M's, which feature a peanut coated in milk chocolate, and finally a candy shell, were the first variation to be introduced, and they remain a regular variety. Numerous other variations have been introduced, some of which are regular widespread varieties while others are limited in duration or geographic availability. M&M's are the flagship product of the Mars Wrigley Confectionery division of Mars, Incorporated.
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.
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.
Teal is a greenish-blue color. Its name comes from that of a bird—the Eurasian teal —which presents a similarly colored stripe on its head. The word is often used colloquially to refer to shades of cyan in general.
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.
Awareness ribbons are symbols meant to show support or raise consciousness for a cause. Different colors and patterns are associated with different issues.
Movember is an annual event involving the growing of moustaches during the month of November to raise awareness of Men's Health issues, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and men's suicide. It is a portmanteau of the Australian-English diminutive word for moustache, "mo", and "November". The Movember Foundation runs the Movember charity event, housed at Movember.com. The goal of Movember is to "change the face of men's health."
World Cancer Day is an international day marked on 4 February to raise awareness of cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment. World Cancer Day is led by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) to support the goals of the World Cancer Declaration, written in 2008. The primary goal of World Cancer Day is to significantly reduce illness and death caused by cancer and is an opportunity to rally the international community to end the injustice of preventable suffering from cancer. The day is observed by the United Nations.
The rainbow flag or pride flag is a symbol of LGBTQ pride and LGBTQ social movements. The colors reflect the diversity of the LGBTQ community and the spectrum of human sexuality and gender. Using a rainbow flag as a symbol of LGBTQ pride began in San Francisco, California, but eventually became common at LGBTQ rights events worldwide.
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.
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.
The colors pink and blue are associated with girls and boys respectively in large parts of the Western world.