People gather on a beach, where a purple sunset can be seen.
We all had a good run with the bright, yellow-green Pantone Color of the Year for 2017, "Greenery." We could find the happy hue just about anywhere, and not just in fashion and home goods. That bright green is an easy color to spot anywhere you go: it’s the color of the grass, leaves, trees, and even some animals you find in nature.
But for 2018, Pantone is giving us all a much cooler, more serene color to obsess over: "Ultra Violet."
The gorgeous, bright purple is described as “dramatically provocative and thoughtful” and “communicates originality, ingenuity, and visionary thinking that points us toward the future” on the Pantone website, which is something we all need in 2018. It invokes deeply calming feelings of sunsets, fields of flowers, far-off galaxies, or even well-lit dance floors.
“Enigmatic purples have also long been symbolic of counterculture, unconventionality, and artistic brilliance. Musical icons Prince, David Bowie, and Jimi Hendrix brought shades of Ultra Violet to the forefront of western pop culture as personal expressions of individuality,” Pantone wrote.
It’s also a gorgeous color to find while you’re on a worldly adventure. As much as you can find blue skies, green grasses, or red brick buildings, there’s something special about finding a wash of bright purple in any given setting while you’re traveling.
This color is also “often associated with mindfulness practices, which offer a higher ground to those seeking refuge from today’s over-stimulated world,” according to Pantone. What a perfect excuse to get away from the office with just a backpack and passport in hand.
Well, you may also want to bring your camera phone, just in case you want to post on Instagram to show all your friends the incredible view.
If you’re not convinced there are countless places to find this beautiful purple, we rounded up some places all over the globe where you can spot some pretty violet hues.
Sydney, Australia
A jacaranda tree in full bloom with purple flowers on McDougall Street in Kirribilli.
Kars, Turkey
These snow statues are illuminated with green and purple lights to commemorate the Sarikamis martyrs in Kars, Turkey.
Portland, Maine
Purple cauliflower that can be found at the Portland Farmers’ Market at Deering Oaks Park.
Atacama Desert, Chile
People stroll though the purple-pink flowers, in full bloom in the Huasco region of Chile.
Saltburn-by-the-Sea, England
The seaside resort town in North Yorkshire is an Ultra Violet sight to see when the sun goes down.
New Zealand
You can find flowers like this showy hebe, also known as showy speedwell, growing wild in New Zealand.
Cuba
There are an estimated 60,000 candy-colored vintage cars, like this bright purple one, owned in Cuba, including classic Fords, Chryslers, and Chevrolets.
Iceland
Nooka lupines, a free growing purple flower, help prevent erosion in Iceland. They also make the landscape very colorful.
Monte Cervino, on the border of Italy and Switzerland
You can see both the north and south faces of the mountain sticking out against the purple sky.
Pueblo Rico, Colombia
This purple-throated Woodstar, a species of hummingbird, is marked with brilliant purple feathers on its neck.
Kathmandu, Nepal
People gather for the Holi Festival, the Hindu “festival of colors,” and “paint” each other with bright pigments of blues, reds, yellows, greens, and of course, purple.
Kashmir, Nepal
Saffron is associated with rich yellow, but the flowers, which are picked in this particular town, are a bright purple.
Bangkok, Thailand
Not all purple hues are in natural settings. These purple seats provide comfort for commuters as they wait for their trains.
