Lundi Rouge (Red Monday)

What do you think of when you see red?

I love red and am always drawn to it, particularly during difficult or challenging times. It’s always invigorating!

For some, it means anger, power or energy. For other’s vitality, passion, dominance or creativity or in the case of Christian Louboutin Shoes, it means luxury and elegance.

Red is a fantastic colour of many hues and was one of the first colours used by artists dating back to prehistoric times.

It is well-loved across the globe for its rich, intense, vibrant and attention-grabbing quality.

In some cultures, this hue symbolises joy and good fortune, for others fertility and luck, or aristocracy, religion and prestige. Or even for red tea, as in the delicious Rooibos tea of South Africa.

I particularly love the Russian interpretation of the colour. Red is prominent in Russian culture and history with Krasnyj (red in Russian), related to the word krasivyj, which means beautiful, good or honourable.

So the “Red Square” of Moscow is actually the “Beautiful Square” (krasnaya ploshad) which makes sense given it is surrounded by the magnificent highly coloured “Onion dome” buildings the square is famous for.

It is lovely to find La Belle Époque (the beautiful era) even in places where it may once have been not so beautiful. Often, when you look beneath the surface (of things, places and people), you find something special.

This Monday, instead of suffering Monday-itis, embrace the positive and create some Belle Époque, even if it’s just a smile at a stranger… or putting some more words on paper.