Haint Blue

I had often admired the lovely, traditional blue of Lowcountry porches, but never particularly expected there was a reason for it! After mentioning it to a friend, and incidentally my favorite home inspector, I received a link to this article. You learn something new every day!

"From periwinkle and turquoise to more mellow shades the color of the sky, the paint of choice for many porches across the country is blue. Is it just trendy? Or a talisman of some sort? Carl Langhorne, assistant manager at Strosnider's Hardware store in Bethesda, Md., says that some customers say they want a color that reminds them of the sky, others like blue because it's a calming color.

Still others believe that blue chases away evil spirits. In the South Carolina Lowcountry, there's a name for the blue of porch ceiling: haint blue. Alphonso Brown, a guide with Gullah Tours in Charleston, S.C., explains that a haint is a spirit or a ghost, and in Charleston, many people also paint the trim on their houses blue to ward off evil spirits. Other theories also exist. Some say blue helps extend daylight as dusk begins to fall, and many, including Brown, believe that it helps keep bugs away."

For the full "All Things Considered" article and to listen to the radio piece: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5645263&sc=emaf