Reasons for color association

Black is often seen as the 'color' of death in Western culture. Black represents darkness and the unknown, and death is associated with the extinguishing of light. The association of white with death in Eastern cultures could come from the white cloth used to enshroud corpses (as in Egyptian mummys), the pale skin of a dead person, or the stark whiteness of bones and skeletons. Many Eastern cultures also view death as the passage into a higher state of being (Buddhism, Hinduism), and thus could view white as a positive color association for death. Red is often a color representing violence, war, aggression, or passion; this is probably because red is the color of fire and human blood.