These eye-catching emblems are spreading across the country faster than gossip at a church potluck. But are they political, religious or something else entirely?
This weekend, I went to a wedding where I knew no one except the bride and groom. So I decided to make some new friends at my table … by asking them if they had a barn. (This is how I do research, see.) And—wouldn’t you know it—the gentleman to my left owned a barn. Several, in fact. So I had to ask the important question: Does he have a star on any of the barns, and if so, what do barn stars mean?
Corey Johnson is a third-generation farmer and rancher in northern Colorado growing “cows, alfalfa, a little bit of this and that.” Both he and his brother looked at me like I’d just asked if they bedazzle their tractors. “Like decorations? Do we do that?” he asked his brother, who shook his head and laughed. “Honestly, you’re lucky if we get a decent amount of paint on it to make it look respectable.”
But he has seen stars, horseshoes, cattle brands and other barn decor (not to mention boots on fence posts), and now he too wants to know what they’re for. Enter Chip Carter, who was not at the wedding but is the perfect person to answer this question.
“I grew up on a farm, and I just happen to travel the country visiting farms for a living,” he says. “I’ve been doing that for about 15 years now as the producer and host of the TV show Where the Food Comes From.” Carter says the stars-on-barns trend has exploded over just the last decade, and he would know: He’s probably seen more barns than most people have seen episodes of Yellowstone.
But before you start spinning theories about secret societies or political statements (because honestly, we all went there), read on to find out the real—and surprisingly wholesome—story behind these eye-catching emblems.
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What are the theories about why people put stars on their barns?
The theories are as varied as the barns themselves. Johnson guessed they might be directional markers or possibly religious icons, while his brother leaned more conspiratorial: Maybe they’re sending coded messages between farming families?
Personally, I thought they were just cute, like a family crest for farmers. And in our current climate, where even your coffee order can feel politically charged, plenty of people have wondered whether these stars signal some kind of affiliation or belief system.
Carter’s wife falls in that last camp. As a producer on Where the Food Comes From, she started traveling with him four years ago and says she “knew nothing about barn stuff.” So when did she start noticing the proliferation of stars? Well, they “actually vexed her a little bit,” Carter admits. “My, we are living in highly politicized times, aren’t we?”
Her curiosity and mild concern was enough that Carter started asking farmers about the stars everywhere they went. “She was intrigued, so we’ve actually been tracking them closely as we travel ever since,” he says. But the reality is much simpler—and more charming—than most people imagine.
What’s the history of stars on barns?
The barn-star tradition is a little piece of living history that goes back centuries. Carter says Dutch and German settlers brought this decorative iconography with them when they immigrated to America, primarily settling in Pennsylvania in the 18th and 19th centuries. Which might explain why they’re less common out West, and why the Johnson brothers don’t have one. (Colorado was primarily settled by Hispanic, Italian, Irish and Russian immigrants.)
But these stars weren’t just pretty decorations—they were talismans meant to protect these valuable structures. Barns were often considered more valuable than homes because livestock, equipment and harvests stored inside represented their entire livelihood. Lose your barn, lose everything.
According to folklorists, barn stars are part of a broader tradition of “hex signs”—though despite the spooky name, they were meant to attract good fortune, not curse anyone. The Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center, which hosts the collaborative Barn Star Art Tour, notes that they combined “practical craftsmanship with symbolic meaning.” They very often featured geometric patterns like stars, rosettes and other folk art designs that have been passed down through generations.
And here’s the beautiful part: The settler tradition stuck because it worked. Well, sort of. “Many of them decided that particular icon was perfect to protect their barns. For the most part, I’m sure, they were right, so that worked,” Carter says with the kind of practical farmer logic that makes perfect sense. Did the stars actually possess magical protective powers? Probably not. Did well-built barns with attentive owners tend to survive? Absolutely.
What does a star on a barn mean?
In short: good luck.
“People have always decorated their barns,” Carter says. “And usually for the same reasons: luck and superstition.” That’s it. No hidden messages, no political statements, no secret handshakes required for understanding. “They simply represent farm life: faith, family, farm and, above all, hope—thus the good luck charm,” Carter adds.
Think of it like a horseshoe hung over a door, which you’re probably more familiar with, Carter says. The star is just one more iteration of that age-old practice.
And before you ask: Yes, there’s also that “rural chic” thing happening. As country living has become a trend, these traditional symbols have gained popularity as rustic decor. So I was right too—they are just so cute!
Where will you generally find stars on barns?
Originally, you’d find these stars almost exclusively in Pennsylvania Dutch country, where Carter grew up. But times have changed dramatically. “Over the last 10 years, as we’ve traveled, we’ve seen it spread literally coast to coast, and it’s on the rise,” Carter reports. “I can’t think of a state where we haven’t seen it.”
That’s quite a change from Carter’s childhood. “When I was a kid, I never saw the star on any farm from Georgia to Texas (my dad was a minister, so we traveled a lot).” Now? They’re popping up everywhere from rural Connecticut towns to farms across the country. What started as a regional tradition has become a nationwide trend.
Are barn stars political?
“They are not political, and thank goodness,” Carter says. This is purely a decorative and symbolic tradition rooted in agricultural heritage, not modern politics.
And I have to say, in an era where even your choice of coffee or grocery store can feel like a political statement, it’s almost refreshing to find something that’s genuinely apolitical. These stars are about as controversial as a weather vane or a red barn door. (Both of which are also trending as decor!)
What other symbols might you see on a barn?
Beyond stars, you could see horseshoes and other good-luck charms, and the Johnsons do have one exception to the no-bedazzled-barns rule: “We have a big American flag on one of them,” Corey says.
He’s seen other farmers fly Vietnam Missing in Action (MIA) flags, peace flags and pride flags. Others commission murals or paint colorful designs. But Carter points out that working barns “aren’t showcases; they’re places where dirty work gets done,” so any decorations come second. The real artistic expression tends to happen with nonworking barns or country estates. That’s where you’ll find “art studios, guest quarters, party palaces,” according to Carter.
What other barn trends might you spot?
How’s this for a fascinating modern trend: “Tons of farmers and rural landowners are realizing the growing social éclat of their barns. They’re investing big time in turning them into event locales, primarily for lovely, countrified weddings.” He adds that some working farmers are even “converting existing barns into event spaces and building new functional barns elsewhere on the property!” Talk about barn raising in the 21st century.
When I asked the Johnson brothers if they’d consider turning one of their barns into an event space—perhaps for a wedding just like the one we were attending—they both laughed so hard I thought they might need the Heimlich.
“Have you seen the inside of a working barn?” Johnson asked. “There’s hay dust, smells and stains on everything, plus the guests would all need a tetanus shot first.”
His brother agreed, adding, “Unless someone wants a very authentic farm experience for their reception, this is not something you’d want on Instagram.”
Fair enough. But if you do spot a pristine barn with a shiny star on it on your next countryside drive, now you know it’s probably bringing someone good luck—whether that’s a working farmer hoping for a good harvest or a trendy landowner hoping to book their next wedding.
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Sources:
- Corey Johnson, farmer, rancher and barn owner in Colorado; in-person interview, Oct. 4, 2025
- Chip Carter, producer and host of Where the Food Comes From; phone interview, Oct. 5, 2025
- Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center: “Hex Signs & Barn Stars of Southeastern Pennsylvania”
