Why do people paint houses blue?

The tradition is rooted in Gullah culture.

Gullah folklore held that ghosts—known as “haints” (and pronounced “haunts”) in the Creole dialect—could not cross water, and because blue resembles water, ceilings were painted this color to repel evil spirits.

What does painting your house blue mean?

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)."

Why are so many houses painted blue?

The hue of blue used on many southern ceilings is sometimes referred to as "haint blue." The blue hue was chosen to fend off "haints," or bad spirits, who could wish to damage the house or its inhabitants. Insect Deception Many people believe that painting the porch ceiling blue would keep mosquitoes away.

What does painted blue mean?

In computing, blue paint refers to the mark given to preprocessing tokens by the C preprocessor that temporarily disables expansion of those tokens. A token is said to be painted blue when it has been disabled in this way.

Why do Southerners paint ceilings 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.

Why You Should Paint Your House Blue? 10 Beautiful Examples of Blue Homes

Why are porches painted blue?

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.

What color keeps evil spirits away?

Since the ancient times, red color is believed to be a lucky color to ward off evil spirits.

Why are porch ceilings painted blue in Key West?

As time went by another legend came to be as home owners continued to paint their Key West ceilings blue. The idea was (and for some still is) that blue porch ceilings act as a natural bug repellent because the porch looks like the sky and fools the bugs who obviously won't build their nests in the sky.

Does blue paint repel insects?

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.

What color is haint blue?

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

Do blue houses sell for more?

Zillow's latest interior paint color analysis finds that homes with light blue bathrooms could sell for up to $4,698 more than expected, while homes with trendy mint green kitchens could sell for $1,830 less than expected.

What color of house sells the fastest?

What do blue doors symbolize?

A blue front door may symbolize prosperity and abundance, and the darker you go the more a blue door can project a sense of tranquility, peace and elegance.

Where did haint blue come from?

This “haint blue,” first derived from the dye produced on Lowcountry indigo plantations, was originally used by enslaved Africans, and later by the Gullah Geechee, to combat “haints” and “boo hags”—evil spirits who escaped their human forms at night to paralyze, injure, ride (the way a person might ride a horse), or ...

What does a blue front door mean in Feng Shui?

Like green, blue also represents the wood element, which supports growth and new beginnings. Deeper shades of blue are also connected to the Gen area of the feng shui bagua map. Gen represents knowledge and self-cultivation, so dark blue can be helpful in supporting an intention to deepen your skillfulness.

What color are porch ceilings in the South?

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.

Are spiders attracted to blue?

Other bugs tend to gravitate toward bright colors, like yellow, white, or orange. So while green attracts spiders, it repels their food sources. The color that spiders tend to hate is light blue.

Why do people paint their porch ceilings?

The tradition is rooted in Gullah culture.

Gullah folklore held that ghosts—known as “haints” (and pronounced “haunts”) in the Creole dialect—could not cross water, and because blue resembles water, ceilings were painted this color to repel evil spirits.

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.

Do blue porch ceilings keep birds away?

Summer days seem to last longer when afternoons are spent on the porch, and a pale blue ceiling overhead helps extend the daylight into dusk. Blue ceilings are also said to deter birds from nesting there and insects from buzzing around.

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!

Can you paint a 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.

Is blue a color of protection?

Blue-turquoise stones on jewelry, belts and weapons, will safeguard people and animals and even plants (chaimalia) against Evil. Blue “eyes” and blue stones mounted on gold and silver are presented to babies and small children as a talisman for protection, like the sky-blue scarf around the neck of boy-scouts.

Do blue ceilings keep wasps away?

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.

Is red a color of protection?

Red is violence, anger, and aggression, and it frequently indicates danger. Paradoxically–for a color associated with action and energy–red is universally used as the color that means "stop." Red is used professionally to capture attention, elicit emotion, and convey confidence.