Dataset Viewer. White is an achromatic color , a color without hue. An incoming light to the human eye that stimulates all its three types of color sensitive cone cells in nearly equal amounts results in white. White is one of the most common colors in nature , the color of sunlight , snow , milk , chalk , limestone and other common minerals.
In many cultures white represents or signifies purity , innocence , and light , and is the symbolic opposite of black , or darkness. According to surveys in Europe and the United States , white is the color most often associated with perfection , the good , honesty , cleanliness , the beginning , the new , neutrality , and exactitude.
In ancient Egypt and ancient Rome , priestesses wore white as a symbol of purity , and Romans wore a white toga as a symbol of citizenship. In the Middle Ages and Renaissance a white unicorn symbolized chastity , and a white lamb sacrifice and purity ; the widows of kings dressed in white rather than black as the color of mourning. Greek and Roman temples were faced with white marble , and beginning in the 18th century , with the advent of neoclassical architecture , white became the most common color of new churches , capitols and other government buildings , especially in the United States.
It was also widely used in 20th century modern architecture as a symbol of modernity , simplicity and strength. White is an important color for almost all world religions.
The Pope , the head of the Roman Catholic Church , has worn white since , as a symbol of purity and sacrifice. In Islam , and in the Shinto religion of Japan , it is worn by pilgrims ; and by the Brahmins in India. In Western cultures and in Japan , white is the most common color for wedding dresses , symbolizing purity and virginity.
