why is there a moon cut out on outhouses
Outhouse The decoration on the outhouse door has no standard. The well-known crescent moon on American outhouses was popularized by cartoonists and had a questionable basis in fact. There are authors who claim the practice began during the colonial period as an early "mens"/"ladies" designation for an illiterate populace (the sun and moon being popular symbols for the sexes during those times).[4] Others dismiss the claim as an urban legend.[A] What is certain is that the purpose of the hole is for venting and light and there were a wide variety of shapes and placements employed.