The Meaning Behind “Barn Stars”

Have you ever passed by an old barn or farmhouse and noticed those big, five-pointed stars hanging above the door or in the gable? They are somewhat rustic, a little decorative, and they have probably somewhat faded over the years from the sun—but there they are just drooping down for everyone to see. You see these things all over the country, especially in rural areas of the East. You may have thought, what’s up with the barn stars? Are they just decorative? Do they mean something?

They have been around a long time—like, for generations. A lot of people call these barn stars, but depending on where you live, you might hear a variety of names. Some names include Amish stars, hex signs, or barn quilts—although sometimes they’re not technically the same. The meanings are a bit varied among references, and people, but generally the general idea of barn stars is about the same: luck, protection, identity.

In a different time, barn stars were not just hung there for looks. In the 18th and 19th centuries, particularly with the Pennsylvania Dutch (actually Germans, in case you were wondering about the name), these symbols took on deeper meaning. Some folks saw them as folk magic—like, put a star up on your barn and it protects your property, animals, crops, and the land you grew up on. Not in a lightning bolt way, but more like a soft, constant charm keeping bad luck off its course.

And colors played a role. For instance, there were red stars tied to things related to energy, passion, and good luck. Not simply swatches of color—these colors meant something. Blue was about peace, calm, keeping things in balance. Green? Fertility. Growth. The kind of energy you’d want flowing through your fields and garden beds. Black often meant protecting, sort of like a visual guard dog for your barn. And white, no surprise, meant purity or spiritual connection—something clean and grounded.

Some people believe that the specific design of each star, just like geometry or patterns, also meant more things. This was especially true with the more elaborate “hex signs”, which were basically painted mandalas instead of five-pointed stars. Whether they were magical symbols, expressions of faith, or simply folk art… well I guess that depended on who you talked to.

As time marched on, these stars took on more personal meanings. Some families used them almost as a signature. A well-made star could flaunt the skill of the person who made it. It was like saying, “Hey, I built this barn, and also made this star”. It was pride in craft. Identity. Eventually, they also became a way to mark a sense of home. A sort of visual shorthand for “We have been here a long time, and this is our place.”

Of course, these days you are just as likely to see barn stars somewhere on a suburban porch as you are in the country. They have gone full folk-chic. People use them in their interiors, on garden sheds, patios—you name it. I bet most people are not thinking about warding off evil spirits when they hang one up today. But even without the original intention intact, there is still a bit of comfort in them. They are nostalgic, perhaps a waft of heritage, maybe even a quiet reverence for the people who came before us. These people made their lives from hard work and hope.

There is something quite lovely about their existence—from protective talismans to rustic décor. They have reached Pinterest stardom, but have remained on this feeble tether to the old world every step of the way. A little wooden star painted up and nailed to some shingles—it has been up there year after year, but it is more than a decoration. It is a symbol—however different the symbol is than the original meaning.

The next time you see one—maybe you are cruising down a back road or you spot it tucked up in the gable above someone’s garage—take a second look. That star may not just be mounted because the color matches the shutters; maybe it is telling a story—whatever it may look like—a story about tradition, or luck, or family, or simply that basic human need to leave something behind that says, “We were here.”