Modified June 23, 2023 | 10:47
The next time you’re in your barber chair with the clippers whirring as the backdrop to your cut, take a moment to look around.
Clad in red, white and blue, these bright barbershop poles may seem like nothing more than eccentric decor, but each banner carries a piece of history that you wouldn’t expect.
Bleeding Out the Past: The Bloody Origins of Barbershops
Get ready; This story is more like Game of Thrones than Hairdresser on Fire. In the Middle Ages, hairdressers not only delivered the most modern cuts in the village. No, they played little surgeons who pulled teeth and performed simple operations.
It sounds crazy now, but your barber’s greatgreatgrandfather might have been the man you could turn to for a toothache or a bloodletting. Yes, you heard it right sangria.
According to wealth of knowledge on beauty websites like BARBERAPP and Pivot Point, the classic barbershop pole literally has bloodsoaked roots, according to Excelsior.
Barbers in medieval Europe hung bloodstained bandages to dry on a pole outside the shop, alerting passersby that the shop was open. Over time, these “bloody bars” morphed into the cheerful, swirling red, white, and blue stripes we see today.
Deciphering the Barber Pole: Red, White and Blue Revealed
So what does each color on the barber pole represent? Well, here comes the best part. The red represents the blood shed in these medieval procedures.
The White? These are the bandages used to stop the bleeding. And the blue? Some say this color represents the veins severed during bloodletting. Another theory is that blue was later introduced as a nod to the national colors in barbershops in the United States, United Kingdom, and France.
Even though today’s barber shops don’t pull teeth or prescribe leech therapy, this fascinating story lives on in the glowing stripes of the barber pole. So next time you’re waiting for a cut, impress your barber with your knowledge of the profession’s colorful and dramatic past. You have more to share than just the latest gossip. Who knows, you might even help your hairstylist appreciate their craft from a whole new perspective!
EditorinChief of Mistérios do Mundo since 2011. I love to travel, enjoy good music and read. It won the Digital Influencer Award in the Oddities category.