The tradition of colouring houses in East Greenland began with the introduction of the first wooden houses. Given that East Greenlandic is solely a spoken language, in the initial colonial period, most Greenlanders were not able to read Danish written language, with the colours primarily functioning as practical signage in the established settlements. A red building indicated a store, yellow denoted a hospital, and a blue structure marked the local fish factory. While many buildings now use colours for decorative purposes, some still uphold this historic tradition.
Red: churches and stores, including the houses where the priest or shop owner lived. The most commonly used color.
Yellow: hospitals, including the houses where the doctors or nurses lived
Green: radio communications, or later, telecommunications buildings in general.
Black: police
Blue: factories, fish plants
