- Beginning with the Revolution of 1848, "Socialist" red was used as a color of European Revolutionaries, often in the form of the red flag. It was also used by Garibaldi's camicie rosse ("redshirts") in the Italian Risorgimento, and taken up by Leftist and generally radical groups, while the white of legitimist Bourbon partisans became associated with pre-World War I conservatives.
- For instance the Civil War in Russia and the Civil War in Finland were fought between the "Red Army" and various "White Armies".
- The identification of Communism with "Socialist" red (with the red flag being the primary color of the flag of the Soviet Union) and the red star being a Communist emblem led to such Cold War phrases as "the Red Menace" and "Red China" (distinguished from Nationalist China, "Free China," or Taiwan). The color was also associated with political vehicles such as the Red Guard in China and the Red Guards during the Russian Revolution as well as with left wing paramilitary groups such as the Red Army c.Faction in Germany and the Japanese Red Army. Red remains associated with parties on the left of the political spectrum, with several notable exceptions (see "Political Parties" below)
- In Chinese symbolism, red is the color of good luck and is used for decoration and wedding attire. Money in Chinese societies is traditionally given in red packets. See also The East is Red. Mao Zedong was sometimes referred to as a "red sun".
- Red ink is also used to denote debt - as well as losses on a balance sheet (hence the phrase, "in the red" usually indicates economic losses).
- In North American stock markets, red is used to denote a drop in stock prices. In East Asian stock markets, red is used to denote a rise in stock prices.
- In maps of political parties, red is traditionally used for the following parties:
- Australia: Labor
- Canada: Liberal Party of Canada
- Germany: Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (Social Democratic party of Germany) and Partei des Demokratischen Sozialismus (Party of Democratic Socialism)
- The Netherlands: Partij van de Arbeid (Socialist party)
- United Kingdom: Labour Party
- United States: Republican Party, since the 2000 presidential election, when contrasted with blue representing Democrats.
- Red is one of the Christmas colors, with green, white, or both.
- Red, along with yellow and orange, is thought to provoke hunger, hence its use in logos by food vendors.
