Bloodletting, once reserved for monks, was entrusted to barbers after a papal decree in 1163 forbidding monks from performing this operation. Barbers then became improvised practitioners, also performing tooth extractions, plaster casts and fracture reductions.
The barber’s pole: a symbol of a medical past
The barber’s pole finds its origins in these practices:
- Red represents blood extracted during bleeding .
- White symbolizes bandages used to cover wounds.
- The blue, often added in the United States, could refer to the veins or reflect a patriotic inspiration linked to the American flag .
The twists are reminiscent of the strips of fabric wrapped around wrist posts during a bloodletting. This distinctive design has endured through the ages, becoming a universal symbol of barbershops.
A decoration that still intrigues
For many, the meaning of the pole remains a recent discovery. On social media, users oscillate between surprise and fascination. Another theory suggests that these colors evoke shaving foam or the water used by barbers. Some believe that the design was simply intended to attract attention.
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