The Red Carpet; The Untold story

For as far back as we can remember, the red carpet has been one of the most notable and universally recognized floors in the world. We see red carpets at all sort of events; movie premiers, award shows, diplomatic meetings...etc. But where did the red carpet originate from? Why is it so accepted as a symbol of respect, glamour, importance and royalty? Here is how it all began.

The first written record of the red carpet appears in an ancient Greek play, written in 486BC. The egoistic king Agamemnon is being test by his wife, who rolls a red carpet out from the entrance of their house to welcome him from a long journey. Agamemnon hesitated walking on the red carpet, knowing well that only gods are worthy of the colour. He ends up walking on it anyway, but after that play the red carpet came to be associated with both gods and kings. In paintings and artworks throughout history, one can see red carpets leading up to thrones and palaces of royalty.

Over time, red carpets began to be used for all kinds of events. In the early 1900s, train companies would use red carpets to welcome passengers onto the train, and to direct them around the train station. This gave them an edge over competitors who didn’t use red carpets because it made their customers feel more important and gave their train rides an aura of luxury. According to popular opinion, the use of red carpet for ordinary train passengers is where the phrase ‘’Receiving the red carpet treatment’’ was born. In recent times, everyone associates this phrase with receiving an elite level of service and being treated like royalty.

Eventually, the red carpet widened its reach to be used to welcome important figures as they step off their air-crafts and even for guests at weddings. It is used to mark important events and make guests feel important and honoured. In the celebrity world, the red carpet has taken on a life of its own. It has become a place to discuss fashion, trendy issues and interview stars before the event (movie premier, award show, fundraiser...etc) commences. Most often, the red carpet segment seem to be more important and talked about than the event itself.

Some may be of the opinion that concept of the red carpet may have been overused and DE-emphasized. In that case, the meaning and sway which it holds has been cheapened. But all it really does is to give everyone a chance to feel like a member of the elite class. Even if you concur to the opinion that the concept red carpet is abused or overused or somewhat tacky, you have to respect it for its ancient origin and its ability to survive throughout history.