I have a lot of fascinations. I wouldn't call them obsessions because I don't think about these things every hour on the hour. There are just some things that hold my attention longer than others. One of these things is pretty much any Red Door.
I remember being very young, traveling with my parents to Milwaukee. We stopped to pick up some things and as we parked I noticed a brick building across the street with a red Door. On that rainy day, that door seemed so vibrant and inviting. Weirdly, it also had a bit of hauntedness that I couldn't place. At that moment, I thought to myself, "One day I will have a red door and another little girl will see it in the same way". Because well, I've always been precocious.
| Photo Courtesy: quicksandala |
Since then, I have learned that red doors actually have a lot of history.
- For the Chinese, a red door is linked to auspicious energy and often used for shrines. Ancient Chinese law stipulated that high ranking government officials had to have a red door. This connected the practice with success and prosperity.
- The Scottish also connect a red door with success and prosperity, as it is a tradition to paint your door red when your mortgage is paid off.
- In early American tradition, having a red door meant that you would welcome road weathered travelers into your home. It meant that your home was safe and welcoming. Just as the symbolism was again used to represent safe houses for the underground railroad and refugees.
- Many traditions believe that a red doors ward off evil spirits.
- Red is also often used (sometimes in combination with white or gold) for church doors to signify spirituality and the blood of Christ.
- Traditionally, red is the cheapest paint color to produce. So, it was often a good color to use for a splash of color to an otherwise muted color scheme. This was the reason behind so many red barns.
Anyways, one day...one day...
