Thisis the best picture I’ve found. I often see them on the outside walls of houses, just a single large star. I’ve begun to see so many of them that I finally have to ask: Does it mean something? Or is everyone just copying each other because stars are pretty?
Perhaps the stars are tributes to Aliester Crowley, famous for saying “Every man and woman is a star.” (He said a lot of other stuff, too.)
Or references to Michael McClure’s The Beard–a dialog between Billy the Kid & Jean Harlow “in the blue velvet of eternity.” At the end, Billy performs cunnilingus on Jean as she cries out “Star, Star.”
Well, those immediately came to my mind. More likely? Stars have been around a long time. They’re Shiny!
And let’s not forget Texas, Our Texas–The Lone Star State!
I’ve wondered this too. I didn’t see them until I came to New England. I was unable to find the history behind them, but I assumed it was colonial…and when out and got a couple for my own home.
I’ve seen these all over Amish country in PA. Called ‘barn stars.’ Sometimes they are just painted onto a barn. Basically a good luck symbol. From a barn star seller:
"The tradition of the barn star in Amish country can be traced back to the 1700’s, and to at least the 1820’s in Pennsylvania. Barn stars were most popular after the Civil War. On many older Amish barns,one could see a large decoration in the shape of a star mounted on the face of the barn. Sometimes they were just aesthetic, but sometimes they represented the trademark of a specific barn builder. It is our understanding the original star shape was a three-pointed star but has changed throughout the years. Colors had significance with Amish and Pennsylvania Dutch barn paintings. These folk art designs, many of which were star shaped, were painted directly onto each end of the barn, and date back to the 1850’s. Black - Protection, also used to blend or bind elements together; Red - Emotions, passion, charisma, lust and also creativity. White - Purity, power of the moon, allows energy to flow freely. Blue - Protection, peace, calmness and spirituality; Green - Growth, fertility, success in things and ideas that grow. Yellow - Health in body and mind, love of man and the sun, connection to the God, Brown - Mother earth, also can mean friendship and strength. Violet - Things that are sacred. The barn star composition has changed over the years. At first they were built directly into the barn . Later the stars were crafted from wood as a separate piece and now of metal for longer lasting with ease of changing the colors. "
Here’s a link to a short history - History of the barn star - http://www.tinntreasures.com/history_Barnstar.htm
Hey, there’s a wikipedia entry - Barnstar - Wikipedia
Looks to be this decade’s “Special Occasion Flags.”
On the South Carolina State House, IIRC, they mark where the building was struck by cannonfire when Sherman visited.
Earlier thread:
What are those stars and what are they for? (house decorations)
Could be a spin off of the distelfink seen on many Pennsylvania Dutch country barns.
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~aferm/pennsylvania/hex.htm