Roll out
the red carpet
Posted by Andrew
Longhurst on January 13, 2003 In Reply to: What
goes up must come down posted by finbarr on January 13, 2003
Been looking for the real origin to the phrase "Roll out the red carpet" for sometime.
I now have it and thought you might like to share same. This refers to carpets
and rugs being used in India several centuries ago:
"Sometimes carpets provided
the actual architecture; for example, when they were used in the construction
of portable tent compounds for military campaigns or royal visits. The layout
of the Mughal palace was re-created in these tent compounds. Rows of qanats, free-standing
textile screens, replaced red sandstone walls, and flower-covered carpets reproduced
the gardens of the inner courtyards. The red color served to identify the emperor's
tent, and luxurious textiles not only provided the comforts of home but also symbolically
reminded envoys and visitors of the power and the wealth of their rulers."
"Jahangir,
Mughal emperor from 1605 to 1627, once paid a visit to his brother-in-law on New
Year's Day. To celebrate the event, his brother-in-law carpeted the road between
his house and the palace with gold brocades and rich velvets, so that the royal
entourage would not have to touch the ground. Today we say "Roll out the red carpet"
or "the red-carpet treatment" to indicate the conferring of honor and prestige."
Hope
this helps someone somewhere.
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