Ever seen a purple, yellow, blue, red, orange, or even green porch light and wonder if it had any meaning? Does it stand for something? Is it trying to alert you to something?
Well, that’s what we are going to explore in this post. If you see them around your neighborhood or at a relative’s house, you’ll be sure of the meaning as you read on.
From my research, I’ve been able to find that there are pink, red, orange, yellow, blue, purple, and green porch lights that all have their different meanings.
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Colored Porch Lights Meaning
- Green Porch Light-to show your appreciation for service members and vets in the military, Holiday-Halloween, St. Patrick’s Day
- Red Porch Light-Raise awareness for Heart Health Month, which is in February so it can also symbolize love for Valentine’s Day or Holidays at Christmas Time, and firefighters
- Yellow Porch Light-To keep bugs away without killing them
- Orange Porch Light-Support for the Delphi Victims and extends to support for the police, Holidays-Halloween
- Purple Porch Light-Raise Awareness of Domestic Violence
- Pink Porch Light-Breast Cancer Awareness
- Blue Porch Light-Autism Awareness, honoring police
What Does a Green Porch Light Mean?
Green Porch Lights have a few different meanings, but usually it represents appreciation for Veterans and Active Military Members. Some people change their porch light to green and leave it up all year round.
A green porch light can also symbolize lyme disease and holidays: either St. Patrick’s Day in March or Halloween in October.
Green Light A Vet
In 2013, an ad campaign was started by Walmart asking people to shine a green porch light to spread awareness and support of veterans in their community. This went along with their Veteran’s Welcome Home Commitment Initiative to provide jobs to honorably discharged US Veterans.
The hashtag #GreenlightaVet was encouraged to be used on social media along with a photo of their green porch light to show support and awareness for veterans.
Green was chosen because green ties to the military because of the green uniforms traditionally worn. It also means renewal and hope and the term “greenlight” itself means moving toward action.
Holidays: St. Patrick’s Day & Halloween & Christmas
You may see people shining a green porch light around March for St. Patrick’s Day or around October for Halloween. St. Patrick Day is often called “Green Out Day” because it is common to shine your green porch lights.
Popular colors for Halloween are Orange, Black, Green, and Purple, this is why some may like to see a green “spooky” light on Halloween. My husband and I have shined these colors on Halloween Night for a fun vibe.
If people are really fun, they might shine red or green porch lights around Christmastime.
Lyme Disease
Green Lights shining in May could represent support and awareness for Lyme Disease. Lyme Disease is an infection transferred when an infected tick bites a human. Green is the color for support because ticks are usually green in color.
When Should I Use a Green Porch Light?
This depends entirely on what you want to convey while shining your green porch light. To support veterans and active military, some display the green light all year long, but mostly on November 11 for Veteran’s Day.
Light up a green porch light on October 31st for Halloween for a fun spooky vibe, St Patrick’s Day, March 17th to participate in “Green Out Day” and in May to spread awareness and support for Lyme Disease.
Best Bulb for Green Porch Lights and Where to Buy
The best color changing bulbs on the market are these from Phillip Hue. We have them all around our home and out on our porch. I purchase mine from Amazon, but they are available at most home improvement stores.
What Does a Red Porch Light Mean?
Red Porch Lights have a few different meanings like American Heart Health Month, Holidays like Valentine’s Day and Christmas, and support for Firefighters.
American Heart Association
While a Red Porch Light may mean many things, but the biggest representation for the color red is the American Heart Association and to spread awareness of heart health and the importance of a heart healthy lifestyle.
This hits home for me because my father- in-law and grandfather-in-law have had heart issues in the past, but live heart healthy lives now because of it.
There is a special initiative for women to take charge and empower their heart health. It’s called Go Red for Women.
Holidays: Valentine’s Day, Halloween, and Christmas
Around the Holidays, you may see Red Porch Lights around your neighborhood in February for Valentine’s Day or December for Christmas to add a festiveness to the day or time of year.
Halloween may also show some Red Porch Lights to represent the gore, ghosts, goblins etc of the season.
Firefighters
May 4th is International Firefighter’s Day. There was a campaign started by The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to shine your light on May 4-5, 2020.
The campaign was born from the tragic loss of 5 firefighters in the horrible Victoria, Australia wildfires. They asked the public to shine their red lights in their homes in remembrance of the lives lost.
Many people may choose to shine their red porch light all year round to show support for firefighters bravery and sacrifice to save the lives of others.
When Should I Use a Red Porch Light?
If you wish to celebrate American Heart Health Month, shine that red porch light for the month of February and this will also work for Valentine’s Day.
Christmas time can be for the entire month of December or just Christmas Day as well as for Halloween on October 31st.
International Firefighter’s Day is on May 4th (also May the fourth be with you Star Wars Day so the red works for this day too), but some may choose to leave the red porch light on all year for either Heart Health or Support for Firefighters.
Best Bulbs for Red Porch Lights and Where to Buy
I would recommend the same color changing bulb for the Red Porch Light as well. We purchase ours on Amazon, but they are available locally at most home improvement stores.
What Does a Yellow Porch Light Mean?
Do you live in the South like me, or somewhere where bugs are super annoying? Yellow Porch Lights can help with that. They are used to help reduce the sight of bugs.
Bug lights, yellow lights are able to keep the bugs away without killing them. For this type of yellow light for a bulb, I recommend this one for the yellow porch light.
What Does a Blue Porch Light Mean?
Blue Porch Lights, like many of the others, can represent many things. The one I will mention first is Autism Awareness. Blue lights are also meant to show support for the police.
Autism Awareness
World Autism Day is April 2nd. Blue was chosen to represent Autism Awareness month. You can show your support by shining a blue porch light to spread awareness for the inclusion and kindness towards those with Autism as well to show standing up against bullying and exclusion.
Autism Speaks started a campaign called Light It Up Blue. It is encouraged that people turn their porch lights to blue in the month of April to show support.
Support for Law Enforcement
Another very common meaning for the blue porch light is to support law enforcement. Shining a blue porch light shows support for law enforcement officers and their families.
Project Blue Light eventually formed from the story of Dolly Craig placing a blue light in her window as remembrance of an officer killed in the line of duty, her son in law.
It has grown into people showing support for law enforcement and fallen officers year round.
This again hits home for me, as my husband’s uncle was a police officer. We shined our porch light blue when he died.
Alopecia Areata Awareness
Last year in September, Alopecia Areata Awareness Month, people were encouraged to Light it up with blue lights as part of the #LightItUpBlue4AlopeciaAreata. The movement was started to raise awareness for this disease that affects 2.5 million people in the United States.
Alopecia is an autoimmune disease that makes hair fall out in clumps.
Across the country, landmarks will be illuminated blue to help raise awareness. From Massachusetts to Texas to Alaska, lights will shine blue in support of Alopecia Areata.
When Should I Use a Blue Porch Light?
April is Autism Awareness Month with April 2 being World Autism Day. If you see a blue light around your neighborhood or wish to support and bring awareness to Autism, change your porch light to blue in April.
September is the time to Light It Up Blue for Alopecia Areata, and support for Law Enforcement can be shown all year round.
Best Bulbs for a Blue Porch Light and Where to Buy
I’m still recommending the same bulb for a blue porch light as well. These can be found locally at most home improvement stores or online at Amazon.
What Does a Purple Porch Light Mean?
Porch Lights shining purple will often mean to honor for domestic violence victims and survivors. It is a big problem and shining a purple light spreads awareness and stands against the issue.
The Purple Nights Lights Movement was meant to show people who have been victims of domestic abuse that they are not alone and there are safe spaces that exist and people who will stand with them because there is no place for violence in the home.
If you want to spread awareness and honor these brave men and women, shine your purple porch lights in October for Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Best Bulbs for a Purple Porch Light and Where to Buy
The bulbs I have mentioned before in this post give the most accurate color purple. If those are too expensive for you, try these. Both of these bulbs are available at most home improvement stores.
What Does a Pink Porch Light Mean?
Also in October for Breast Cancer Awareness, you may see people lighting up their porch lights pink. Pink represents spreading awareness for victims and survivors of Breast Cancer.
In Quebec in 2020, the country’s health care system was under great strain from the pandemic. To bring awareness, the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation started the Let Your Light Shine!
It encouraged people to purchase pink light bulbs in certain areas and light them up in October and all the proceeds went to the foundation.
Best Bulbs for a Pink Porch Light and Where to Buy
The Phillips Hue is the best bulb for shining pink. They are available on Amazon and in most home improvement stores.
What Does an Orange Porch Light Mean?
Orange Porch Lights can mean festiveness for Halloween, especially if you see them shining in October. They can also represent support the victims in Delphi.
Delphi Victims Families
In Delphi Indiana, people across the state are lighting up their porches with orange porch lights to show a cry for justice. Two young girls were murdered in February in 2017. The skies and porches will burn bright orange across Indiana until the killer is found and the murders solved.
Halloween
You may also see orange porch lights being shone in October to add a festive air and spooky feeling for Halloween on October 31st. We have done this before along with purple and green porch lights.
Best Bulbs for a Orange Porch Light and Where to Buy
Phillips Hue is still the bulb I am recommending for the orange color porch light as well. They can be found on amazon or in most home improvement stores.
Leave the Porch Light On Meaning
Leaving the porch light on is a Country Song, but is also means that someone is home. It helps to deter burglars and illuminates the door for safety.
It’s kind of universal sign when someone says, “I’ll leave the porch light on for you,” that they are home and waiting for you to come home.
Final Thoughts
If you see fun colors porch lights around your neighborhood or around your community, now you know what they may represent. They could mean nothing, and just be a color the homeowner enjoys.
I had a friend in college, and he had a green porch light. It was the easiest way to tell people which apartment was his.
Whether you want to celebrate a holiday or cause dear to your heart, I hope you learned about what each of the colored porch lights mean or could be interpreted as. This was fun to shed light (I love a good pun) on a topic I have always wondered about myself.
You guys light up my life, until next time!
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