Colour me Purple Part 8 - Purple in Religion Quiz

Answer: Penitence

Roman Catholic priests wear purple vestments when celebrating Mass and other liturgies during Advent and Lent - the liturgical seasons associated with penitence in preparation for the birth (Christmas) and resurrection (Easter) of Christ. Priests will also wear purple stoles when hearing confession (the Sacrament of Reconciliation), and when administering the Sacrament (Anointing) of the Sick - both of which involve repentance of one's sins. Purple vestments can also be worn when officiating a requiem (funeral) mass, though black or white (for children) is the customary colour. Martyrdom is symbolized by red, rejoicing by rose, and innocence by white.

Question and information supplied by FT member, LadyNym.

Answer: Each one of these

Purple, violet (or blue), and scarlet fabrics were all quite expensive in ancient times. They were used for the curtains and carpets of the Tabernacle, for the high priest's gala dress, and for the Veil of the Holy of Holies in the Temple. (See, for example, Exodus chapters 25-26 and 28). Working with purple especially was such an important skill that King Solomon requested from King Hiram of Tyre someone who specialized in purple dye (II Chronicles 2:7) to supervise building the Temple.

Question and information provided by FT member, gracious1.

Answer: Thailand

Buddhism is the main religion practised in Thailand, and funerals for Buddhists usually continue for much longer than those undertaken in the Western world. They often last for at least a week, and on some occasions as long as a year or two. Generally speaking, only close family members are expected to attend every part of the funeral.

In Thailand, the colour purple defines sorrow and symbolises spirituality, and is reserved for widows to wear whilst mourning the death of their husbands. However, it is customary for others attending the funerals to wear black, in line with the standard dress code in most other countries throughout the world.
Following the death of the King of Thailand, Bhumibol Aduladej in 2016, a year of mourning was observed. During this time many Thai people wore black apparel from head-to-toe out of respect for their deceased monarch.

Question and information provided by FT member, moonraker2.

Answer: Between the eyes

You may have heard of the 'third eye', a hidden eye in the centre of the forehead or between the eyebrows, which is said to provide extrasensory perception. This area is also where many Hindus wear the bindi. The Russian esotericist and theosophist Helena Blavatsky and her followers believed the third eye to be the pineal gland, a small endocrine gland in the brain that produces melatonin.

The ajna chakra is known as the 'third eye chakra' or 'guru chakra', and is depicted as a violet lotus with the letter ham on the left petal, representing the god Shiva, and the letter ksham on the right petal, representing Shakti, the Great Divine Mother. In Hinduism, it represents the link to the subconscious.

Question and information provided by FT member, Kankurette.

Answer: Taoism

Lao Zi (c. 571-470 BCE) was a Chinese philosopher who was a contemporary of Confucius. His ideas became the basis for Taoism (or Daoism) and many are recorded in the "Tao Te Ching" ("The Classic of Dao and Virtue"). His ideas emphasize that the listener should seek the Dao, through morality and good deeds. Like Confucius, Lao Zi spent time employed as a government official in the Zhou Empire.

Question and information provided by Fun Trivia member, bernie73.

Answer: A family crest

Purple represents Justice, green represents Faith, and gold represents Power.
These colours and themes help to portray the season that Mardi Gras represents. While many non-Catholics see the New Orleans Mardi Gras celebration as several days of big parties, it is actually a religious holiday with deep meaning.

Mardi Gras literally means Fat Tuesday when translated to English from its native French. Officially it is the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, the official start of Lent. The Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans started in the 1830s. In 1872 Russian Grand Duke Alexis Romanoff visited the area in time for the annual parade. That was the first year of the festival that has grown into the modern celebrations. The colours and their meanings were taken from Romanoff's family crest.

Question and information provided by FT member, Shadowmyst2004.

Answer: Purple was a colour associated with royalty and rulers

The exact date of the Crucifixion of Jesus is unknown, but consensus among religious scholars is that it occurred on a Friday, between the years 30-33 AD, during the Jewish Passover period. When he was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was taken to the house of the High Priest, where he was questioned, mocked, spat on and severely beaten overnight, before being taken to face Pontius Pilate the following morning.

The Gospel of John in the KJV of the Bible, Chapters 18 and 19, tells us the following: After Pilate questioned him, asking if he was indeed king of the Jews, and Jesus had responded that "My kingdom is not of this world", this was followed by the tragedy of the Jews calling for his crucifixion. This in spite of Pilate stating that he could find no basis on which to condemn the suffering man before him. Inexorably though, a savage flogging following, before the soldiers guarding the son of God wrapped him in a purple robe (a colour symbolic of royalty), twisted a crown of thorns, placed it on his head and mocked him as the Jewish king, before beating him again. You know the terrible conclusion.

Question and information supplied by FT member, Creedy.

Answer: Mysticism and spirituality

The lotus flower grows from muddy water into a beautiful pristine flower. For some Buddhist sects this symbolizes the path to enlightenment. The purple lotus is usually depicted as a bud or in full bloom.

Question and information provided by FT player, mlcmlc.

Answer: Victims of domestic violence

Although this day is mainly observed by Muslims, with women wearing a purple hijab on that day, anyone may join in by wearing an item of purple clothing. Part of the reason for the observance is to disabuse those of other faiths, who may think that violence toward wives and daughters is allowed in Islam, of that erroneous notion. First observed in 2010, the message is that Islam teaches that one should not harm others. Purple was chosen as it is a colour of mourning, for all victims of domestic violence.

Question and information provided by FT member, Spanishliz.

Answer: Third week

There are a number of variants on this tradition, which originated in the Lutheran church during the 19th century. The most widespread one is a wreath of greenery which holds four candles, one for each week of the Advent season. (In Eastern churches, the season is longer, and five candles are used.) A fifth (white) candle may be added in the centre, to be lit on Christmas Eve to signal the arrival of the festive season and the end of the traditional time of fasting and penitence. The outer candles are usually purple (the liturgical colour for penitential seasons), but can be in a range of purple-red-pink shades. Each night (or at the start of a worship service), the appropriate candles are lit and burned for some time. Each candle has its own significance, relating to the focus of each week: hope, peace, joy (the one that is traditionally pink instead of a darker purple) and love. The central candle, if included, is called the Christ candle.

Question and information provided by FT member, looney_tunes.