If you drive around the South of the United States, you may notice that a significant number of houses have blue-painted shutters, doors, and porch ceilings. More than a trend, this common Southern tradition hides a deep, nuanced, and even shocking story. Sometimes, colors are nothing but colors but the characteristic haint blue of the American South is embedded in the country's past in unbelievable ways.

Its history started years before the American Revolution, back when the United States was fueled by a booming industry of indigo cultivation and trade. But the different meanings of the haint blue porches of the South don't stop there. The color is also at the center of superstition, Hoodoo beliefs, and despicable social injustice.

Not All Blue is to Blame

Even if you live in a Southern American home that's completely coated in blue, it's important to be aware that sometimes, color doesn't stand for anything. If you happen to find an old haint blue house that needs renovation, painting it back to its original blue shade doesn't necessarily mean you're standing for the old superstitions and injustices that were characteristic of the region.

After all, blue is a lovely color, and it can still be used for purely aesthetical reasons. Over the last few decades, social transformations in the United States, and the South particularly, have rendered all shades of blue essentially meaningless. In fact, the color is now more likely associated with more broad and politically unbiased meanings.

A Family Tradition

American people living in the South are extremely connected with their family roots and ancestors. Sometimes, they even live in houses that have belonged to their family for generations. Some simply wish to replicate the same blue ceilings and shutters of the house they grew up in when they move into a new home.

It's a tradition and it looks good, so why give it a second thought? Traditions start somewhere, and it's important to learn about our roots and background. Even if such background is not necessarily flattering. But, after all, when did it all start?

A Victorian-Era Trend

One possibility is that the haint blue trend started during the Victorian era. This period is associated with Queen Victoria's reign in the United Kingdom, which lasted from 1837 to 1901. The Victorians wanted to feel closer to nature in all instances.

That's why they used nature-resembling colors in their homes. Such included floors made out of terracotta, which resembled the ground outside. But also ceilings painted light blue, which was a way of replicating the optimistic blue sky that could be seen during a warm Summer's afternoon.

Blue is Therapeutic

In a way, the Victorians could not have been more right. Nature is extremely therapeutic, and the color of the deep blue sea is known to have a healing effect on people. Blue is known as a stress-relieving color; one of the most calming tones in the chromatic circle.

The existence of a neurophysiological response to color, as well as its powerful electromagnetic properties, was the subject of various scientific studies over the years. Just like the raging bull is attracted to red, it is likely that human beings are physically calmed by blue.

Relaxed, or Simply Bug-Free?

A less-studied theory associates blue with keeping the bugs away. Is it possible that blue is simply more relaxing because it could get rid of those annoying mosquitoes? Many Southern homeowners believed that by painting their homes blue, bugs would stay away.

We know bugs are attracted to bright colors like white, yellow, or orange. On the other hand, they cannot perceive colors like green and blue as vividly. So, there is plenty of ground to support the theory that the blue porches of the South were simply made to keep the insects away.

A More Effective Method

When it comes to bugs, visual cues (like color) do matter. Ladybugs, for instance, are attracted to white homes and locations because they have a natural tendency to follow the light.

But even in the Victorian era, colors were not our biggest weapon against bugs. There were more effective ways of keeping the insects away. Back in the day, most types of paint used lye in its composition, and lye was known to be a very strong insect repellant.

Lye is Not Just Dangerous to Bugs

Today, lye is still a powerful alkaline chemical substance that's used in countless products. But most of these products, like strong cleaning chemicals, are designed not to contact people's skin. When lye was applied in paint, it was not just dangerous for bugs. It could also hurt people.

The worst part? Lye was not only corrosive to metal, plastic, or human skin... It was also extremely flammable. When mixed with water, lye can even cause a fire! Probably not the best substance to have your old Southern wooden home coated with.

There Are Many Types of Blue

From traditional light blue to more modern shades, there are so many types of blue that it can sometimes be hard to define what's blue and what's not. Similarly, we can find all kinds of justifications as to why something is painted blue.

But since we're talking about the Southern American homes, and haint blue particularly, it's important to focus on what it is that makes haint blue such a common shade of blue in the South. And why so many Southern homes still proudly display it.

A Greater Evil

Looking back at Southern American folklore, we cannot ignore the connections between the region, the predominance of blue homes, and the Hoodoo superstitions. It turns out the haint blue of the South might have absolutely nothing to do with keeping bugs away... Its repellant properties were meant to keep something way scarier off your property.

The clue is actually in the name. The haints, also known as "boo hags", were evil spirits inhabiting the South that drifted from their former human bodies and were always looking for their next prey. In a way, they were the "boogeymen" of the Southern U.S.