What does purple have to do with Lent?
Each season of the Christian year has a color that goes along with the season. This helps us remember what part of the Christian year we are celebrating. The color purple is associated with Lent because purple is a “royal color,” a color that kings wear.
In biblical times, purple dye was very expensive. In that time, fabric could not be colored in just any hue. Dyes were natural, and common colors were earthy — browns, yellows, greens. Purple dye was created by crushing thousands of tiny shellfish. The dye was rare, and the fabric said to be worth its weight in silver.
Lydia in Acts 16:14 was a businesswoman who dealt in purple, so she must have been the first-century equivalent of a millionaire.
Since purple was so expensive, only wealthy people could afford it, so it came to signify wealth, power, and royalty, much like caviar does today. Therefore, purple is the color for the seasons of Advent and Lent, which celebrate the coming of the King.
Purple reminds us that Jesus is like a special king to us.
Since as Christians we prepare for our King through reflection and repentance, purple has also become a penitential color.
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