All Topics  
Awareness ribbon

 

   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link






 

Awareness ribbon



 
 
Ribbons, due to their ubiquitous nature, have come to symbolize various concerns depending on the colours or the patterns used. For example, black ribbons may be used for mourning.

Of the uses of ribbons to draw awareness to health issues, perhaps the most well-known is the red ribbon
Red ribbon

The red ribbon, a awareness ribbon colored red, has several different meanings in different contexts. Foremost, it is the symbol of Solidarity of people living with HIV/AIDS....
 for support of those with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Other health and social concerns which have adopted coloured ribbons include Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease , also called Alzheimer disease, Senile Dementia of the Alzheimer Type or simply Alzheimer's, is the most common form of dementia....
 (purple), Breast Cancer
Breast cancer

Breast cancer is a cancer that starts in the Cell of the breast in women and men. Worldwide, breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer after lung cancer and the fifth most common cause of cancer death....
 (pink), and bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder is a Classification of mental disorders that describes a category of mood disorders, or mood swings, defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated mood clinically referred to as mania or, if milder, hypomania....
 (green).

Political use of ribbons include red ribbons worn to commemorate the October Revolution (7 November) in the former Soviet Union
Soviet Union

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a Constitution of the Soviet Union socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991.The name is a translation of the , romanization of Russian Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated ????, SSSR....
, and orange ribbons in the Orange Revolution
Orange Revolution

The Orange Revolution was a series of protests and political events that took place in Ukraine from late November 2004 to January 2005, in the immediate aftermath of the run-off vote of the Ukrainian presidential election, 2004 which was claimed to be marred by massive corruption, voter intimidation and direct electoral fraud....
 in Ukraine.

Yellow ribbon
Yellow ribbon

A yellow ribbon is a symbol with various meanings, mostly associated with those waiting for the return of a loved one or of military troops who are temporarily unable to come home....
s, in the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
, are used to show that a close family member is abroad in military service.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Awareness ribbon'
Start a new discussion about 'Awareness ribbon'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


Ribbons, due to their ubiquitous nature, have come to symbolize various concerns depending on the colours or the patterns used. For example, black ribbons may be used for mourning.

Of the uses of ribbons to draw awareness to health issues, perhaps the most well-known is the red ribbon
Red ribbon

The red ribbon, a awareness ribbon colored red, has several different meanings in different contexts. Foremost, it is the symbol of Solidarity of people living with HIV/AIDS....
 for support of those with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Other health and social concerns which have adopted coloured ribbons include Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease , also called Alzheimer disease, Senile Dementia of the Alzheimer Type or simply Alzheimer's, is the most common form of dementia....
 (purple), Breast Cancer
Breast cancer

Breast cancer is a cancer that starts in the Cell of the breast in women and men. Worldwide, breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer after lung cancer and the fifth most common cause of cancer death....
 (pink), and bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder is a Classification of mental disorders that describes a category of mood disorders, or mood swings, defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated mood clinically referred to as mania or, if milder, hypomania....
 (green).

Political use of ribbons include red ribbons worn to commemorate the October Revolution (7 November) in the former Soviet Union
Soviet Union

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a Constitution of the Soviet Union socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991.The name is a translation of the , romanization of Russian Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated ????, SSSR....
, and orange ribbons in the Orange Revolution
Orange Revolution

The Orange Revolution was a series of protests and political events that took place in Ukraine from late November 2004 to January 2005, in the immediate aftermath of the run-off vote of the Ukrainian presidential election, 2004 which was claimed to be marred by massive corruption, voter intimidation and direct electoral fraud....
 in Ukraine.

Yellow ribbon
Yellow ribbon

A yellow ribbon is a symbol with various meanings, mostly associated with those waiting for the return of a loved one or of military troops who are temporarily unable to come home....
s, in the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
, are used to show that a close family member is abroad in military service. In Russia, Belarus and other countries of the former USSR gold and black striped ribbons are used to celebrate the Allies' victory in World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
 (9 May).

Other ornaments, including flowers (of specific kinds), bracelets and badges may serve essentially the same purpose of drawing attention to a cause. These include poppies
Poppies

Poppies can refer to:*Poppy - the plant*The Poppies - other uses*"Poppies", a song by Patti Smith Group from their 1976 album Radio Ethiopia...
, rosettes and wristband
Wristband

Wristbands are encircling strips worn on the wrist, made of any of a variety of materials depending on the purpose. The term can be used to refer to the bracelet-like band of a watch, to the cuff or other part of a sleeve that covers the wrist, or to decorative or functional bands worn on the wrist for other reasons, such as lanyards....
s.

History

The first ribbon that was represented as a meaningful object in history was the yellow ribbon
Yellow ribbon

A yellow ribbon is a symbol with various meanings, mostly associated with those waiting for the return of a loved one or of military troops who are temporarily unable to come home....
 that was mentioned in a marching song, which was sung by the military in the United States. In the year 1917 George A. Norton copyrighted the song for the first time. The title of the song was "Round Her Neck She Wears a Yeller Ribbon". In the 1940s the song was rewritten by several musicians.

In the early 1970s the song Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'Round the Ole Oak Tree was released, based on this song a wife of a hostage in Iran, Penney Laingen, was the first who used the ribbon as an awareness symbol. She tied yellow ribbons around the trees, to illustrate the desire of her husband coming home. Her friends and family members followed the trend due to loyalty. As all Americans were able to see this message, the "ribbon became a medium".

In the 1990s, AIDS
AIDS

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the HIV ....
 activists were inspired by the ribbon medium, and decided to make ribbons for the people that fight against AIDS. The ribbon that represents AIDS became red as this is the color of passion. During the Tony awards, a photo was taken of the actor Jeremy Irons
Jeremy Irons

Jeremy John Irons is an England film, television and stage actor. He has won an Academy Award, a Tony Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, two Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards....
, who had the bright red ribbon
Red ribbon

The red ribbon, a awareness ribbon colored red, has several different meanings in different contexts. Foremost, it is the symbol of Solidarity of people living with HIV/AIDS....
 pinned on his chest. As the public followed the awards, the ribbon was an eye catch and became popular overnight. The year 1992 was declared by The New York Times
The New York Times

The New York Times is an American daily newspaper published in New York City. The largest metropolitan newspaper in the United States, "The Gray Lady"?named for its staid appearance and style?is regarded as a national newspaper of record....
 as "The year of the Ribbon".

External links

  • , with two American Folklife Center
    American Folklife Center

    The American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress was created by United States Congress in 1976 "to preserve and present American Folklife" ....
     articles (Library of Congress
    Library of Congress

    The Library of Congress is the de facto national library of the United States and the research arm of the United States Congress. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and holds the largest number of books....
    )
  • by Trinity London
  • by The Pin People