Why is the Hancock Center glowing green today?

September 16, 2011 4:48 PM

Does anyone know why the lights on top of the John Hancock Center in Chicago are glowing green today?

A friend just asked me and now I'm curious. I can't find an answer on the internet.

posted by smeater44 to Grab Bag (13 answers total)

Mexican independence day?
posted by cmoj at 4:58 PM on September 16, 2011

I haven't been downtown in a while: was it a different color yesterday? Because during non-holiday-days, they often just pick a color and run with it. It's very possible it doesn't mean anything.

Apparently it's also POW/MIA remembrance day. Don't know what that has to do with green, though.
posted by phunniemee at 5:01 PM on September 16, 2011

Best answer: I'd guess that it's related to the Green Tie Ball this weekend.
posted by Morydd at 5:05 PM on September 16, 2011

Because during non-holiday-days, they often just pick a color and run with it.

Uh... since when? Solid blue means clear weather, solid red means rain is forecast, blinking red means snow and/or the Sox game is canceled. And that's without googling... via Wikipedia I see that flashing blue means a cloudy forecast.
posted by rkent at 5:05 PM on September 16, 2011

Uh... since when? Solid blue means clear weather, solid red means rain is forecast, blinking red means snow and/or the Sox game is canceled. And that's without googling... via Wikipedia I see that flashing blue means a cloudy forecast.

Interesting. I don't know if they use that here...you realize we're talking about Chicago, right?...I'll start paying closer attention, though. I can't imagine what purple would mean. It seems to be purple an awful lot.
posted by phunniemee at 5:12 PM on September 16, 2011

Best answer: Chicago, not Boston. Here you go.
posted by cosmac at 5:18 PM on September 16, 2011 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Rkent, I think you're thinking of the John Hancock in Boston. I'm referring to the one in Chicago. Phunniemee, I could be wrong but I always thought the colors meant something. I did just find an article that today is park(ing) day in Chicago. I guess it's where people pay the street meters and instead of parking a car, they set up a tiny park with grass and plants or maybe a tree. Maybe that's why they're green.
posted by smeater44 at 5:19 PM on September 16, 2011

I just called them. The Green Tie Ball as Morydd suggested.
posted by Bighappyfunhouse at 5:20 PM on September 16, 2011 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: There it is. Thanks cosmac.
posted by smeater44 at 5:21 PM on September 16, 2011

Ah yes, thank you. In the future I will read entire questions before answering.
posted by rkent at 5:25 PM on September 16, 2011

FWIW, it's also halfway to St. Patrick's day. (It's as good an excuse to wear green and drink as any...)
posted by chrisamiller at 1:36 PM on September 17, 2011

So, what about the rest of the colors? What does it mean when it's purple? Is the purple ever flashing? Is the light ever yellow? Orange? White?

Far from the City of Big Shoulders, inquiring minds want to know.
posted by Rash at 8:11 PM on September 17, 2011

So, what about the rest of the colors?

Several Chicago buildings do theme lights. Halloween is usually purple and green, St. Patrick's Day is obviously green, red and green for Christmas...I feel like they might have done pink at one point for breast cancer, but I might be confusing it with the ribbon they lit on the top of the Smurfit building. And the lights are sometimes just white or red for no apparent weather-related reason (leading to a really hilarious view when crossing the river on Harrison--there's a short building with a circular ring on top, usually lit white, and it looks like the big devil-horned Sears Willis Tower is sneaking up on a little be-haloed angel).

My favorite, though, is when they coordinate all the office lights to spell out "GO SOX!" or whatever is the cheer du jour with the windows.
posted by phunniemee at 11:31 PM on September 17, 2011