What does a blue ceiling on a porch mean?

Repelling Haints

The blue color was meant to ward off “haints” or evil spirits who might want to harm the house or the family inside. Tricking Insects. Many people argue that painting your porch ceiling blue actually keeps insects away.

Why do people have blue porch ceilings?

According to the Gullah/Geechee, a blue porch ceiling brought good luck to the home and helped to ward away evil spirits as these lost souls are unable to cross water. A haint blue porch ceiling resembles water and prevents haints from harming the people in the house.

Does a blue porch ceilings keep bugs away?

The theory was that insects would mistake the blue ceiling for the sky and set up housekeeping elsewhere. The blue paint actually did thwart insects, but not by outsmarting them.

Why do they paint porch ceilings light blue?

Across the South, the tradition of painting ceilings blue is passed down from generation to generation. There are many stories and legends as to why, and it's not just about keeping bugs at bay. In the Deep South, a darker blue sometimes called “haint blue” is believed by some to keep away evil spirits.

What does a blue porch mean in the South?

The folklore piece refers to the concept of "haint," a Southern variation on the word "haunt" that refers to a ghost or spirit. "Blue represented water, and apparently spirits can't traverse water," said O'Neill. "People would paint the ceilings, the window trim and sometimes the doors (to keep spirits away)."

The Story of Haint Blue | What About This?

What is the story behind haint blue?

The shade and the term “haint blue” have become mythic and ubiquitous. The Gullah Geechee legend says that evil spirits do not like water and painting spaces to look like water will keep them away. The color is said to have been originally based on the indigo grown in the region in the eighteenth century.

What is the meaning of a blue porch light?

Blue porch light

To advance autism awareness, Autism Speaks started a campaign known as Light It Up Blue. The organization adopted blue as its official color and encouraged people to turn their porches blue to show support.

Why are Southern porch ceilings blue?

Gullah folklore explains that ghosts, also referred to as “haints,” were not able to cross water. In order to repel evil spirits from plantations, porch ceilings were painted a soft blue. The color was meant to mimic water in an effort to keep any haints or spirits at bay.

What color is haint blue paint?

Haint blue is a collection of pale shades of blue-green that are traditionally used to paint porch ceilings in the southern United States.

Does blue paint deter spiders?

The color that spiders tend to hate is light blue. People don't just paint their porches light blue for the aesthetic. Painting your porch ceiling in this shade is a pretty effective way of keeping spiders away. The color is also known to repel wasps.

Does blue porch ceiling deter wasps?

Lore claims the insects and birds see the blue as the sky and don't come beneath it. According to a history of blue paint on Sherwin-Williams.com, today's blue paint is probably not a true deterrent for insects and birds but it once was – back when blue paint was made with lye.

Does painting ceiling blue deter wasps?

Well, it's called "haint blue" and may repel more than just insects, thus the name. The South Carolina Low Country, blue paint has been used on porch ceilings ands ome say this color blue extends daylight at dusk and helps keep bees, wasps and other insects away.

What color keeps wasps away?

The other step I highly recommend is to paint eaves and porch and patio ceilings with the color called haint blue. It is a robin's-egg blue that, according to Southern tradition, discourages wasps from building nests on its surface.

What color blue is used on porch ceilings?

And haint blue? Well it's definitely one. The tradition of painting your porch ceiling this cool, green-tinted shade of blue can be traced all the way back to the Gullah Geechee communities of coastal South Carolina and Georgia, who used the color on windows, shutters, and porches to keep away "haints" or spirits.

Should I paint my ceiling blue?

Your ceiling might not draw quite the same crowd, but painting it can have a big impact on the overall decor. And while white is certainly the safest choice, flip through any design magazine and you'll quickly note that blue is a decorator favorite.

What color is Palladian blue?

Palladian Blue is a serene blue-green paint that offers soft, relaxing tones. Its light and airy coastal hue makes it a perfect choice for adding a touch of spa-like color to almost any room, from bathroom to bedroom, and even the laundry room!

What color blue is on Charleston porches?

The shade of blue used on many southern ceilings is often called “haint blue”. This light blue-green color is especially popular in southern coastal cities like Charleston, SC or Savannah, GA because of the historically haunted nature of these cities.

What is a hang blue ceiling?

The Gullah were a group of African-Americans, originally from West Africa, who lived on the coasts of South Carolina and Georgia. Porch ceilings in the South were painted haint blue to keep away these haunting spirits. They used the light blue paint to symbolize water and prevent spirits from entering homes.

What should I put on my porch ceiling?

What color is sea salt Sherwin Williams?

Sea Salt is one of Sherwin Williams most popular paint colors, a delicate green gray blue color that is a chameleon paint color that changes dramatically in different lighting conditions.

What color is Waterscape?

Waterscape is a soft, shaded, sea glass green with a crystal undertone. It is a perfect paint color for a bedroom or spa-like bathroom. Pair it with white trim and soft golden accents.

What different color porch lights mean?

Red porch light: participating in heart health awareness. Purple porch light: color of domestic violence awareness. Blue porch light: raise awareness about autism and as a means of celebrating police officers. Green porch light: raise awareness for Lyme disease. Yellow porch light: house is selling crack.

What does a blue porch light mean drugs?

They shouldn't be out there selling drugs.” The system is a combination of different colored lights and Morse-code-like flashes. “Red means the police are coming, blue is for cocaine, and green is for weed,” says one Virginia man, a former drug dealer who now buys drugs there.

What does a red light bulb on front porch mean?

So going red with your porch light is a noticeable way for your house to wear red, too. Anyone can have heart issues of course, but there's a special focus on women, and the Go Red for Women initiative seeks to empower women to take charge of their heart health.