Why is the shape of a quarter moon sawed into an outhouse door.?

Question

Why is the shape of a quarter moon sawed into an outhouse door.?

Answer 1

ventilation and to identify it as a crapper

Answer 2

What would you put on there?

Answer 3

The same reason they say mooning someone.

Answer 4

the original purpose was as a handhold to close the door and, to allow light in.

look at your hand end on and you'll see.

Answer 5

For light and ventilation. That is the origination of the term "mooning" someone.

Answer 6

2ward off evil

    or

2 let the moon light inside without opening the door

Answer 7

it originates back around the start of the colonial times when most people couldn't read or write.  mens and ladies outhouses were recognizable by the crescent moon shape for women and a sunburst shape for the men.  the moon "luna" was an ancient symbol for womankind, and the sun "sol" depicted man.  men never took care of their outhouses so they eventually stopped using them and the women took care of theirs, so in the end the moon shape was the only symbol put on outhouse doors.

Answer 8

this is only depicted in cartoons and cheesy art.

Real outhouses never had such silly holes cut into them.

The crescent moon shown on a wooden building allows the reader or viewer to know for sure that it is an outhouse.  Without that moon,  you might just see a rickety wooden building and not be sure what it is.

Answer 9

The hole is there for ventilation.  The shape was probably chosen originally to add a little creativity to an otherwise utilitarian structure.  Now, it's tradition.