RED DOOR HISTORY
To many, a red door on a house is simply a feature that adds to a home’s curb appeal. Looking a bit deeper, we find that red doors actually have deep historical and cultural significance.
PROTECTION. The earliest historical reference to a door being covered in red is found in the Old Testament account of the Jewish Passover in Exodus 12. Prior to Pharaoh commanding the Israelites to leave Egypt, God commanded the Israelites, while being held as slaves in Egypt, to cover their doors in the blood of a lamb. This blood would act as symbol of their obedience to God so that when the angel of death would come through Egypt to kill every firstborn male as the last of the 10 plagues, the angel would pass over the homes of those that had blood on their doors and not kill the firstborn male. This was a sign of God’s covenant with the Israelites. Some churches still paint their doors red to symbolize Jesus’ shed blood and that the area beyond the doors is sacred and holy. Other churches paint their doors red with the idea that protection from evil spirits is offered within the walls of the church.
WELCOME. In early American tradition, a red door symbolized to tired horse and buggy travelers that a home was a safe place to rest and stay.
REFUGE. During the civil war, “safe homes” that were part of the Underground Railroad supposedly painted their doors red to guide escaped slaves to places of refuge and safety.
MORTGAGE FREE. Scottish tradition holds that homeowners paint their front door red to signify that they had paid off their mortgage.
GOOD LUCK. Chinese consider red to be a lucky color and therefore many Chinese put a fresh coat of red paint on their front doors as part of their New Year celebration.
ENERGY. The principles of Feng Shui state that bold colors invite positive energy and that bold colors like red invite opportunities and abundance.
REMINDER. Although many claim Albert Einstein to be one of the most brilliant minds ever, he had his blind spots. Apparently, Einstein painted his front door red because he couldn’t remember which house was his without the red door.
