If you’ve ever noticed that in the Lowcountry of South Carolina (as well as Georgia, parts of Florida, and North Carolina) there are homes with porch ceilings painted a light blue with a hint of green, there is actually a reason for the hue. The color is known as haint blue. Traditionally, there are many pale shades of blue-green that qualify as haint blue, but there’s only one place you’ll likely find it — on the ceilings of the porches of some Lowcountry homes. If you’ve ever seen a haint blue porch ceiling in South Carolina and wondered “why?” — read on!

Perhaps you recall seeing it and thinking it was an odd but beautiful choice for a porch ceiling. (This image shows it on the ceiling of the main porch at Boone Hall Plantation in Mount Pleasant.) But do you know the real reason why people put haint blue on the ceiling over the entrance to their home?
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The tradition is derived from the Gullah and Geechee peoples that inhabit the sea islands and coastal plains from the Carolinas down through Florida.
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The African Americans that make up the Gullah and Geechee populations here developed their own Creole-based language and brought along some cultural traditions, as well. Many are steeped in superstition and some even in voodoo.

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And those haint blue porch ceilings are no different. The Gullah and Geechee believe that malevolent, restless ghosts, called "haints" sneak into your home and cause all sorts of trouble.
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The haints supposedly hate water and won't cross it. The Gullah Geechee answer is to paint the porch ceiling haint blue to ward off the haints.
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The haints see the blue, think it's water, and won't set foot on the porch, much less cross it to enter the front door. Placing the color on the ceiling serves to further confuse the haints and possibly even trick them into thinking they are upside down.
The next time you encounter a porch with a haint blue ceiling, you'll know why it's blue and that haints are not welcome.
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Did you know about the reason behind the haint blue porch ceiling tradition in South Carolina? Want to learn about another Gullah Geechee cultural belief? Read all about the creepy boo hags that sit on your chest when you’re asleep, suck the air our your body, and then slip into your skin and use your body for their nefarious deeds all night long.

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Haint Blue Porch Ceiling

Sarah M. | September 27, 2022

What are some other South Carolina legends?

Now that you know the reason some houses in South Carolina sport a haint blue porch ceiling, you might be curious about other Low Country legends. Well, gather 'round while we tell you the story of the Boo Hag! If it sounds (and looks) creepy ... it most certainly is! The Gullah believe that a person has a spirit and a soul. Once a person has departed, if the spirit is good, it ascends to Heaven — but if it's bad, it lingers here and becomes a Boo Hag. A Boo Hag is dangerous. Its essence can easily slip into your home through even the slightest of cracks and will do so while you are sleeping. Even creepier? You won't even know the Boo Hag is there. It will creep around your house until it finds you asleep in your bed. And then ... it sits on your chest sucking all of the air out of your lungs.

But that's not even half of the danger. Reportedly, after the Boo Hag has sucked the very life out of your lungs, it will slip into your skin and use your body as a muse all through the night, leaving in the early morning hours. If a Boo Hag visits you in your sleep you'll be exhausted after you awaken in the morning but you won't remember having been awake. So how do you keep this mythical creature from creeping into your home? Well, apparently boo hags are obsessive about numbers. If you place a broom, a hairbrush, or even a kitchen colander next to your bed they won't be able to focus on anything else until they have counted every last straw in the broom, hair on the brush, or hole in the colander. In other words: keep the boxes of toothpicks handy!

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