Always Look For Rainbows

Historically, rainbows have symbolized many different things throughout time. Many ancient cultures believed that rainbows were a bridge between the earth and the heavens. In Greek mythology, the sight of a rainbow meant that Iris, with her golden wings and coat of many colors, was passing by. Irish legends told that you might even find a lucky leprechaun and a pot of gold at the rainbow's end. In more recent times, rainbows have played a big part in art, literature, and music. Dorothy(aka Judy Garland ), famously sang, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," and Kermit questioned, "Why are there so many songs about rainbows," in the song, "Rainbow Connection." The classic children's book by Don Freeman, "A Rainbow of My Own," told the story of a young boy's adventures with trying to find his very own rainbow. And as you will see below, many famous artists have also added the beauty of a rainbow into their own artworks. But whether a rainbow is a sign to some of something celestial or not, or if it is a thing to be sung, written or painted about, it is also, very simply-- just plain science. In an uncomplicated explanation, to see a rainbow, you must have sun and rain technically happening close together. When the sunlight hits the raindrops, it's many colors separate out at different angles, allowing our eyes to detect each color of the spectrum individually--red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Any easy way to remember the order of these colors in the rainbow, is by using the acronym Roy G. Biv. These days, rainbows are often seen as symbols of kindness, diversity, and hope--bridging us not to any gods per say, but more importantly, to one another instead. Enjoy looking at the artworks, and then try to create some of your very own rainbows in the world everyday.