I love the way the Pantone people wax lyrical about colour. Here they describe their choice of ‘Mimosa’ for their official colour of 2009:

“In a time of economic uncertainty and political change, optimism is paramount and no other colour expresses hope and reassurance more than yellow. The colour yellow exemplifies the warmth and nurturing quality of the sun, properties we as humans are naturally drawn to for reassurance. Mimosa also speaks to enlightenment, as it is a hue that sparks imagination and innovation.”