Do you know why celebrities walk the red carpet?

During various award ceremonies for Hollywood stars and other events with the participation of all sorts of important shots, the surface on which they walk immediately catches the eye - the red carpet. Have you ever wondered what symbolic meaning it carries? Let's figure it out.

The custom of laying red cloth under the feet of important people is very ancient. The first mention of him is found in the ancient Greek play “Agamemnon”, written Aeschylus in 458 BC. e. In this drama, the red carpet serves as a sign of the high respect and reverence that Clytemnestra wants to show to her husband, who has returned home after the victory over Troy. However, Agamemnon does not dare to step on it, believing that this only befits the gods.

Red oriental carpets were a symbol of luxury in Medieval Europe - their imported from Anatolia, Persia, Levant or North Africa. In Renaissance paintings, they lie under thrones, thrones and platforms on which royalty and high-ranking clergy sat.

In modern history, red carpets were also initially laid under the feet of heads of state. It is believed that the first walk along such a path committedPresident James Monroe of the United States stepped off a riverboat as he was welcomed to Georgetown in 1821.

Later, in 1902, crimson plush fabric began to line the floors of New York's Grand Central Station for passengers on the 20th Century Limited Express. Not only for beauty, but also for a practical purpose - so that people do not get lost and get on the right train. Thanks to this, even entered The expression red-carpet treatment is to greet with a red carpet, that is, hospitably, with open arms.

By the end of the 1920s, the red carpet had become an integral attribute of Hollywood and its film premieres. For the first time a carpet of this color appeared in 1922 at the premiere of the film “Robin Hood”, in which Douglas Fairbanks played the main role.

Today, the red carpet is associated with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, also known as the Oscars. The first awards ceremony took place back in 1929, but the crimson carpet appeared only in 1961. True, television viewers did not immediately find out about this, because only in 1966 the ceremony began to be broadcast in color.

Red carpet is also used at events like the Golden Globes, Grammys, Met Gala and BAFTA. However, at some celebrations the color of the path changes to suit the situation - for example, it can be green to draw attention to the need to protect the environment.

The MTV Video Music Awards have also featured black, white and blue carpets at various times. And at the 95th Oscar ceremony in 2023, for the first time in the history of the Academy, the organizers chose champagne shade.

Apparently, even the gods sometimes get tired of purple.