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.