Why do barbers have a red and white stripe pole outside?
The origin of the red and white barber pole is associated with the service of bloodletting, and was historically a representation of bloody bandages wrapped around a pole. During medieval times, barbers performed surgery on customers as well as tooth extractions. The original pole had a brass basin at the top (representing the vessel in which leeches were kept) and bottom (representing the basin which received the blood). The pole itself represents the staff that the patient gripped during the procedure to encourage blood flow. In the USA the poles sometimes also have a blue stripe supposedly paying homage to the colors of the national flag too.
