The Secret Meaning Behind Texas’ Colored Porch Lights

As you drive through communities in Texas, you might notice that some of the residents have different colored porch lights (especially during the 4th of July). You might see a few additional colors along the way, and each one has a unique significance. But what do they mean?

I understand that not all porch lights have to have a deeper meaning.

For instance, as some festivals draw near, it might not be shocking to find a porch light of a different color. You usually see a lot of green or purple around Halloween, and a lot of green and red around Christmas.

But beyond those festive, holiday lights, certain brightly colored porch lights might have a deeper significance.

Here are the meanings of the six distinct colors of porch lights found throughout Texas.

Pink - Breast Cancer Awareness

Red - Support for the American Heart Association or Firefighters.

Yellow - Yellow just means you're likely to have less bugs flying around your house.

Green - Besides St. Patrick's Day, green can represent Veterans, Military support, or Lyme Disease Awareness

Blue - Law enforcement support  or Autism support.

Purple - Represent domestic violence support.

You should be aware of flashing porch lights in addition to the significance of different colored porch lights. A flashing porch light could be a sign that someone inside needs help. They may be expressing anguish or trying to warn oncoming first responders.

You might ask who created the "Color Code"?

The International Consortium of Porch Light Illuminators meets twice a year to determine which colors are suitable for specific use. No, it's not true. The different colored lights "just happens" to be connected. Colors are often chosen for a variety of reasons, and porch lighters just follow suit.

The "International Consortium of Porch Light Illuminators" is most likely a fictitious name for a group that encourages the use of porch lights, perhaps with an emphasis on responsible lighting practices to minimize light pollution, much like the work done by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA), now known as DarkSky International.