Few Know The Reason Porch Ceilings In Louisiana Are Painted Blue

The South is full of traditions, and Louisiana is no different. From buying the next king cake if you get the baby to serving red beans and rice on Mondays, Louisiana has a lot of quirky traditions that most of us follow. One of the most common traditions down here in the South has a history that few people know, and we’re going to finally shed light on one of the most fascinating traditions in the South, and it has to do with porch ceilings.

If you’ve ever spent any time sitting around on a porch in Louisiana, you may have noticed the interesting ceiling color.

Wanderluster/Getty Images That pale blue is seen on countless porch ceilings around the state, and even all around the deep South.

The official name for the color is Haint blue, and over the years there have been many explanations for the color.

Denisbin/Flickr Perhaps you’ve heard that it keeps wasps and mud daubers from building nests, thinking the blue color is the sky. While that may be a happy coincidence, it’s not the reason that these ceilings were painted blue in the first place.

The tradition began with the Gullah and Geechee cultures, who believed the color would ward off evil spirits.

Wanderluster/Getty Images These folks originally inhabited the coastal plains around the Carolinas and even parts of Florida, and believed that these evil spirits wouldn’t cross water, so porch ceilings were painted this light blue to imitate water.

While the tradition began in South Carolina, over the years, it spread throughout the southern part of the country, eventually making its way to Louisiana.

Rebecca Todd/Getty Images It’s pretty common to see this color on older homes, especially plantations.

But why “haint?”

Betsy Meza Moreni/Getty Images The Gullah and Geechee developed their own Creole-based language, and called those evil spirits “haints,” a variation of the word “haunt.” It was believed that these hydrophobic spirits would think the ceiling was in fact water, confusing them and sending them on their way to the next unsuspecting home.

So now you know the reason behind this iconic color, we have one question for you…

RegulusAlpha/Flickr

Is your porch ceiling painted Haint blue?

Management/Trip Advisor Or will you be painting it in the future?

Let us know in the comments below! And for further reading, check out our article highlighting 14 strange habits every Louisianian has at some point come across.

Wanderluster/Getty Images

That pale blue is seen on countless porch ceilings around the state, and even all around the deep South.

Denisbin/Flickr

Perhaps you’ve heard that it keeps wasps and mud daubers from building nests, thinking the blue color is the sky. While that may be a happy coincidence, it’s not the reason that these ceilings were painted blue in the first place.

These folks originally inhabited the coastal plains around the Carolinas and even parts of Florida, and believed that these evil spirits wouldn’t cross water, so porch ceilings were painted this light blue to imitate water.

Rebecca Todd/Getty Images

It’s pretty common to see this color on older homes, especially plantations.

Betsy Meza Moreni/Getty Images

The Gullah and Geechee developed their own Creole-based language, and called those evil spirits “haints,” a variation of the word “haunt.” It was believed that these hydrophobic spirits would think the ceiling was in fact water, confusing them and sending them on their way to the next unsuspecting home.

RegulusAlpha/Flickr

Management/Trip Advisor

Or will you be painting it in the future?

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Address: Louisiana, USA