International Colour Day
Official name	International Colour Day
Also called	ICD
Observed by	over 30 countries
Date	March 21
Next time	21 March 2026 (2026-03-21)
Frequency	annual
Started by	International Colour Association
Related to	Colour

International Colour Day is an annual event held on March 21 to celebratecolour.

The day was established by theInternational Colour Association (abbreviated asAIC for its French name,Association Internationale de la Couleur), which is composed of national colour organizations and members representing over 30 countries.^[1][2]

The adoption of a worldwide day of colour was first proposed in 2008 by thePortuguese Color Association, whose president, Maria Joao Durao,^[3] presented the idea to theInternational Colour Association (abbreviated asAIC for its French name,Association Internationale de la Couleur). The proposal was agreed upon in 2009 among the members of the AIC, which is composed of national colour organizations and members representing over 30 countries.^[1][2]

International Colour Day was thereby established, with 21 March adopted as the official date. This date was chosen because it is around theequinox, when "the sun shines directly on theequator," and thus, the duration of day and night are approximately equal in length around the world.^[4]

An international competition for the design of the International Colour Day logo was held at the 2012 interim meeting of theInternational Colour Association, held inTaipei,Taiwan.^[5] As expressed by winning designer Hosanna Yau ofHong Kong, "two circles form an eye, with an equal half ofrainbow color and black representing light and darkness, day and night, everyone feast one's eye on the international color day."^{[citation needed]}

Some of the activities and events that are unfolded on the International Colour Day:^{[citation needed]}

• Arts exhibitions, architectural projects, design, decoration, fashion^[6]
• Meetings, debates, scientific events
• Workshops on the use ofcolour andlight for both adults and children.
• Contests on colour and light design.
• Wearing national or regional identity colours.

AIC member countries:^[7][8]

• Australia — Colour Society of Australia^[9]
• Belgium — Interdisciplinary Colour Association Belgium^[10]
• Brazil — Associação ProCor do Brasil^[11]
• Canada — Colour Research Society of Canada^[12]
• Chile — Asociación del Color Chile^[13]
• Croatia — Croatian Color Society in co-organization with theUniversity of Zagreb^[8]
• Finland — Finnish Colour Association (Suomen Väriyhdistys)^[14]
• France — Centre Français de la Couleur^[14]
• Hungary — Hungarian National Colour Committee^[7]
• Italy — Gruppo del Colore – Associazione Italiana Colore^[15]
• Japan — Color Science Association of Japan^[14]
• Korea — Korean Society of Color Studies^[16]
• The Netherlands — Kleurenvisie^[17]
• Norway — FORUM FARGE^[18]
• Portugal — Portuguese Colour Association (Associação Portuguesa da Cor)^[7]
• Russia — Color Society of Russia^[7]
• Slovenia — Slovenian Society for Colours^[8]
• Spain — Faculty of Sciences of theUniversity of Alicante^[19]
• Sweden — Swedish Colour Centre Foundation^[20]
• Taiwan — Color Association of Taiwan^[14]
• United Kingdom —The Colour Group^[21]
• United States —Inter-Society Color Council^[22]

• International Colour Association
• Inter-Society Color Council
• The Colour Group

• Official website of the International Colour Association
• About the ICD (in Spanish)

• Color organizations
• Color
• March observances

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