The Symbolism of Rainbows—and Why We Love Them
“Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.” - Maya Angelou
Rainbow. Arc-en-ciel (or “arch in the sky”) in French, arco iris in Spanish. Радуга in Russian, close to the word for joy. Bûka Baranê in Kurdish, or “bride of the rain.” 虹 in Chinese, whose ancient people once believed that a rainbow was a living creature, like a serpent or a dragon. Across time and continents, nearly every language has a word for the beautiful bow of seven colours that appears in the sky after the rain has passed.
Rainbows symbolize hope in many cultures. They unlock something profound in us. Haven’t you ever stopped what you’re doing when a rainbow suddenly appears in the sky? Perhaps it is that rainbows are the closest thing we have to real magic. Just when you least expect them, a perfect arc appears in the sky. It’s no wonder that since the earliest humans saw one in the sky, we’ve looked to them as a symbol of promise. We still see rainbows as emblems of hope; for evidence, just look to the rainbows that appeared in windows and on sidewalks during the 2020 lockdowns.
Rainbows in history and culture
In Christian culture, a rainbow is almost always a symbol of better times ahead. In the Book of Genesis, in the Bible, the Abrahamic god sends a flood to wash away humanity’s corruption. He sends a rainbow to Noah after the Great Flood as a sign that he will never again destroy the earth.
Sometimes rainbows are seen as a bridge between our world and another. In Greco-Roman mythology, the rainbow is a path made by the messenger Iris between heaven and earth. Iris was the daughter of the gods Thaumas and Electra—and you can still see her name in the Spanish and Portuguese arco iris. Chinese mythology also connects the rainbow with gods: the rainbow is a slit in the sky, which the goddess Nüwa seals using stones of five different colours. In Norse beliefs, a rainbow is a burning bridge that connects earth with the home of the gods. It can only be used by those who are good. In the beliefs of ancient Japan, rainbows are the bridges by which the ancestors of humans came to earth in the beginning.
In Aboriginal stories and culture, the rainbow is a brightly coloured snake with the power to stop rain sent by enemies. This serpent is a powerful spirit who reappears throughout Aboriginal Dreamtime culture—which may be the oldest continuously practiced religion in the world, depicted in rock art at least 10,000 years old.
In Native American cultures, the rainbow is also a powerful symbol. In the Navajo tradition, rainbows are the path of the Yei, the holy spirits. The Cherokee believe the rainbow to be the sun’s coat. There is a Tejas legend explaining that a torn rainbow made the cactus flowers colourful, a Huron legend about the rainbow serving as a bridge to the sky world, and a Lenape story explaining that crows are all black because they sacrificed their rainbow colours for their friends. Children learn a Chumash creation and migration legend in which their people crossed a rainbow to reach the mainland.
Tibetan Buddhism references the attainment of a rainbow body, or complete knowledge, through practice—another sort of bridge to a different level of consciousness.
We even see the rainbow in a popular myth handed down through cultures—the idea that you’ll find a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow comes from the idea that the Irish leprechaun uses it as his secret hiding place. And, of course, many of us know the song “Over the Rainbow,” from the Wizard of Oz, which Dorothy sings as she imagines a world “just over the rainbow” where peace and harmony abound.
For mothers who have experienced pregnancy loss, a “rainbow baby” is the baby born after—another use of the rainbow as a symbol of hope and better days ahead.
No matter which culture you come from or live in, rainbows are a beloved symbol of hope. How do you start seeing more of them?
The science of rainbows
Depending on where you live, rainbows are a fairly common weather phenomenon, and it’s easy to learn how to look for them. First, rainbows are created when the light of the sun—which contains all the colours of the rainbow—shines onto water droplets in the air. The light is refracted (bent) through the water, splitting into its various colours. These are: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet—which you’ll recall from high school science class as Roy G. Biv if your teacher used this mnemonic.
Rainbows appear as an arc, but in fact they are full circles. We only see the half that is above the horizon. Interestingly, there is no place at the end of the rainbow. A rainbow is an optical effect, and its location (and end) depends on the location of the viewer.
If you want to increase your chances of seeing a rainbow, watch for the right moment at the end of a passing shower. Stand with your back to the sun and with the rain in front of you because you’ll want to look toward the water droplets. Ideally, the rain is close—within 12 miles or so from your location. Your chance of seeing a rainbow can be improved if the sun is at a lower angle, such as in the morning or evening.
Now that you know more about the symbolism of the rainbow—and how to spot more of them—be sure to check out our collection of new swaddle prints featuring rainbows. When you wrap a new baby in one, you’ll be carrying on a long tradition of looking to the rainbow as a powerful symbol of hope and positivity.
Share your rainbows—those in the sky and on your babies—with us on Instagram or Facebook.
