Teenagers often wear colored rubber bracelets to signify different meanings and show support for various causes. The trend of wearing these bracelets became hugely popular in the early 2000s and has continued since. The colors and patterns of the bracelets carry certain meanings and signify the wearer’s beliefs, interests, or causes they support. Understanding the symbolism behind these bracelets can provide insight into what a high school student cares about or represents.
Origins of Colored Bracelets
The origins of wearing colored rubber bracelets for symbolic purposes can be traced back to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. In 2004, the foundation created the iconic yellow “Livestrong” bracelets to promote cancer awareness. These bracelets were an instant hit and inspired many other colored rubber bracelets to be created for various causes.
Following the success of Livestrong bracelets, other charitable organizations began making their own rubber bracelets in different colors. Bracelets for causes like breast cancer awareness (pink), supporting the troops (red, white and blue), and tsunami relief (red and black) emerged. The rubber band bracelet craze exploded in the mid 2000s as both charities and celebrities promoted them.
Around this time, colored rubber bracelets also became trendy among teenagers. However, the meanings of the bracelets expanded beyond just causes and took on additional meanings within high school and youth culture. Wearing certain colored bracelets became a way for teens to express their personal style, interests, and affiliations.
Common Bracelet Colors and Meanings
Here are some of the most common colored rubber bracelets worn by high school students and their general accepted meanings:
| Color | Meaning |
| Red | Supporting heart health or cardiovascular disease awareness |
| Pink | Supporting breast cancer awareness |
| Blue | Supporting colon cancer awareness or anti-bullying |
| Purple | Supporting Alzheimer’s awareness or animal abuse prevention |
| Orange | Supporting leukemia awareness or hunger prevention |
| Yellow | Supporting cancer awareness or suicide prevention |
| Green | Supporting organ donation awareness or environmental causes |
| Black | Supporting mourning or melanoma awareness |
| White | Supporting peace or lung cancer awareness |
| Rainbow | Supporting LGBTQ+ rights and pride |
In addition to supporting causes and awareness, some colors have taken on additional meanings within high school culture:
- Red – Signifying a relationship or taken romantic status
- Blue – Indication of an interest in a cause or hobby like sports
- Black – Gothic style or emo affiliation
- Green – Interest in environmentalism or outdoor activities
- Orange – Alternative style
- Purple – Unconventional style or humor
- White – Religious faith or purity pledge
- Rainbow – LGBTQ+ identity or support
Wearing Multiple Bracelets
Many high school students wear multiple colored rubber bracelets at once to represent several meanings. For example, a student may wear a red bracelet for heart health, a purple bracelet for Alzheimer’s awareness, and a rainbow bracelet for LGBTQ+ support all at the same time. The combinations of meanings are endless and up to the wearer’s discretion.
Wearing bracelets in specific color patterns can also signify particular meanings. For example, a vertical pattern of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet bracelets represents support for the LGBTQ+ community.
Special Meanings of Bracelets with Text
In addition to solid color rubber bracelets, some bracelets feature words or text with special meanings. Here are some of the common phrases seen on bracelet text:
- “417” – Direct reference to Bible verse Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”
- “ADD” – Representing attention deficit disorder support
- “Asthma” – Bringing awareness to asthma
- “Diabetes” – Supporting diabetes awareness or Type 1 patients
- “Faith” – Representing Christian religious faith
- “Hope” – Promoting optimism and hope
- “Karma” – Belief in karma philosophy of reaping what you sow
- “Love” – Expressing love for a partner, family member, friend, or romantic interest
- “Seizure” – Bringing awareness to epilepsy and seizures
- “Strength” – Signifying perseverance through difficult times
Bracelets featuring the name or initials of a romantic partner are also common. This signifies the wearer is in a relationship or has romantic interest in that person.
Conclusion
Colored rubber bracelets remain a popular way for high school students to express their beliefs, interests, causes, and personal sentiments. The multitude of colors and patterns allow teens to signify just about anything in a subtle visual way. To understand the meaning behind a bracelet, one need only know the color symbolism that teens have created. With their simple yet customizable nature, these bracelets continue to be a staple of high school style and culture.
