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Kentucky State Pride

Few People Know The Real Reason Porch Ceilings In Kentucky Are Painted Blue

By Sarah McCosham | Published December 01, 2021

Kentucky’s state nickname is the Bluegrass, and that moniker doesn’t just refer to our rolling blue hills. Because when you visit a home in Kentucky with a front porch, you might notice that the ceiling of this ubiquitous Southern feature is painted blue. There’s a reason that porch ceilings in Kentucky are painted blue — and it might surprise you!

Here in the South, front porches aren't simply an architectural feature; they are a way of life.

Because nothing says "warm welcome" more than a front porch decked out with rocking chairs, hanging plants, and sweet tea.

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But when you come a-calling here in Kentucky, you might notice something a bit unique about our front porches... particularly, their ceilings.

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In the Bluegrass, it's not just our rolling hills that are a blue hue, but our porch ceilings, too!

Why? Well, the painted blue porch ceiling started in the American South around 200 years ago. The practice traces back to the Gullah Geechee, enslaved people living in the low country of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.

According to Gullah folklore, ghosts, also referred to as “haints,” were not able to cross water. So in order to repel evil spirits from plantations, porch ceilings were painted a soft, robin's egg blue. The color was meant to mimic water in an effort to keep any spirits at bay.

Today, that tradition continues all across the Southern states -- Kentucky included. In fact, the new Southern Living House features blue-painted porch ceilings, too!

So the next time you visit your neighbor for a glass of sweet tea and long afternoon spent conversing on their blue-hued porch, you'll know why it's painted blue... and can rest assured that no evil spirits are joining you, too!

Have you noticed the blue porch ceilings in Kentucky before? Is your own porch ceiling painted a blue hue? What a wild fact about Kentucky!

Looking for more fun Bluegrass trivia? You’ll want to check out these weird-but-true state laws — some of which you may have inadvertently broken!

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