Green Porch Light Meaning: More That You Think (2024)

Green porch lights can stand for a few things.

But, interestingly, it might not mean what you might think. Read on to learn about the meaning of green porch lights, the causes they support, and a few other interesting facts.

A new movement is upon us: replacing your porch lights with lightbulbs that give off a green glow. But why do people do this? What is the meaning behind the green porch lights?

Speaking of porch lights, what brightness is best for outdoor lighting, and how long should you keep your outdoor lights on?

In this brief outdoor lighting guide, keep reading to learn all about porch lights, specifically green ones.

What Does a Green Porch Light Mean?

The color greensymbolizesbalance, well-being, and hope. The Greenlight a Vet Campaign is anew movement to shine a light on the impact veterans in the US have on their communities.

Changing one light to green in or outside of your home, or changing all porch lights to green, shows that veterans are valued members of the community.

Having a green porch light shows your support of veterans year-round, not just on November 11th for Veterans Day.

The Greenlight a Vet Campaign

TheGreenlight a Vet Campaignbegan to spark a national conversation about recognizing veterans and thanking them for their service as they transition out of uniform and back into civilian life.

Each year, about250,000 veterans transition back to civilian life. This transition isn’t always easy.

By shining a green light on your porch, you show that you value the veterans in your community. It is a way for people to engage with their veteran neighbors and show their support, especially when they’re at home.

The idea behind this campaign is to spark a conversation in communities about providing opportunities for success and providing services for veterans as they return home.

The hope is to raise awareness about the difficulties veterans face when returning to civilian life.

There are many ways to “greenlight” a veteran. These include hiring one or helping one find a job, volunteering with veteran groups in your community, raising awareness via social media, or, in the case of changing your porch light to green, simply signaling your support.

So Where Can You Find Green Light Bulbs?

Thankfully, green light bulbs aren’t too hard to find. Most home improvement retail stores carry an array of green light bulbs. They’re also available online.

In addition, changing your porch light or lights is a breeze! It is an easy way to update the look of your front porch and show your support for a worthy cause.

The Meanings Behind Other Porch Light Colors

Typically, porch lights are a yellow or white color. However, in this case, homeowners may change porch light colors as part of a more significant social movement.

In fact, green isn’t the only color for porch lighting that has a meaning behind it. Other porch light colors that also have inner meanings include:

• Red: American Heart Month awareness or for Halloween
• Purple: Domestic violence awareness
• Blue: Autism awareness or respect for police

Green porch lights are almost always used for veteran support, but in some cases, they may be used to raise awareness for Lyme Disease in May or to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in March.

Other Things to Consider

Whether you’re changing your porch light color to represent a cause you care about or simply want to know more about outdoor porch lighting, keep reading to learn about other things you should keep in mind, such as light brightness and when porch lights should be on.

How Bright Should Your Outdoor Lights be?

No matter the color, different brightnesses of lights serve other purposes. A light’s brightness is measured in lumens.

Softer lights measure around 100–200 lumens, whereas brighter lights measure 500–1300 lumens. People often use soft lights to illuminate outdoor walking paths or a porch at night.

Brighter lights are used more for security purposes. In addition, keep in mind how many lights you have. If you have only one, it may need to be a higher lumen, or brighter, than it would need to be if you had multiple light sources.

Should You Keep Your Porch Light On All the Time?

This question applies to all porch lights, not just the colored ones. It isn’t ideal to keep your porch light(s) on all the time.

Not only does it increase your energy costs, it could potentially annoy your neighbors, contribute to light pollution, and also doesn’t do much in warding off theft or avoiding a break-in.

It is best to turn your porch light on when it gets dark out and turn it off before bed. You can also leave the porch light on if you expect an evening visitor or if someone in your household plans to be home late.

It is common for people to leave their porch light on when they go on vacation; however, that isn’t recommended.

Not only does it once again waste energy and increase your electric bill, but it also doesn’t ward off potential burglars. A light that never turns off actually sends a signal that no one is home.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does a Green Porch Light Mean?

Changing your porch light to green is a simple yet powerful way to show your support for our nation’s veterans.

A green light may also symbolize raising awareness about Lyme disease or celebrating the St. Patrick’s Day holiday.

Whatever a green porch light means to you, changing a porch light to green is a quick and easy fix.