I only learned of this about 3 years ago.
The Real Reason Porch Ceilings In The South Were Painted Haint Blue In Color:
Raise your hand if your porch ceiling is painted light blue. Welcome to the South, where a light blue front porch ceiling can be seen on many homes.
The word “haint,” is a Southern variation on the word “haunt” that refers to a ghost or spirit. The word comes from the Gullah, a community of people descended from central and West African enslaved people who settled on the coast of Georgia and South Carolina.
The Gullah people believed that ghosts and spirits—which they called haints—walked the Earth. Such haints could come into your home through a door or window and disturb its residents. The goal was to deter haints from entering their homes and causing trouble.
The Gullah believed that haints were afraid of water, so they painted their doors, window frames, shutters, and porch ceilings a watery shade of blue that would (hopefully!) repel any haints that approached their home with the intent of haunting it.
They also painted their porch ceilings a sky-blue color. By doing so, the Gullah hoped that haints would confuse the ceiling color with the sky and bypass their home entirely as they floated up into the ethereal blue color.
Haint Blue paint was a form of protection for the Gullah, and is such a charming tradition that Southern communities embraced it wholeheartedly. That’s why many porch ceilings throughout the south are painted a beautiful light blue-green, which has become known as “haint blue.”
Plus, light blue is a cool, refreshing, calming color that reflects plenty of light into the shade of a front porch, making it the perfect canopy for a pleasant interlude spent swaying gently in a rocker or a porch swing while you watch the world go by.
🔹Read more at https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haint_blue
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