This is the quality of Showerthoughts we should strive for.

Just to be safe, throw out the welcome mat, and replace it with a "Do you have a warrant?" mat.

A welcome door mat means the person is welcome to announce themselves by knocking or ringing a bell, it does not mean they are welcome to enter.

If the mat said 'Come on in' then it would give anyone, including a vampire, permission to enter.

Sounds like a bit that could fit into What We Do in the Shadows. They could tell the camera how they enjoy how they are able to freely walk into half of modern residences nowadays whenever they want because idiot humans usually have a welcome mat that technically counts as an invitation.

The trick is, it depends. All vampires are bound by obsessive compulsive behaviours, but the particular form that obsessive behaviour takes depends on a number of factors. The most prominent are age and culture of origin.

More recently embraced American vampires tend to become absorbed in the minutiae of the contractual, legalistic formulation of things, so if they have an aversion to entering without permission, it is more based upon an obsession with the sanctity of individualized private property. This leads to the trait of rarely making a direct entry into a home for predatory purposes but rather a focus on convincing the victim it is in their best interest to give willingly their vital fluids and life force. Many victims of such vampires are not even fully aware of what they have had taken.

Older vampires from a more European context take a more hierarchical approach to property. If your home is in their territory, you are their subject and, as such, no permission is needed to enter what is effectively their house, perhaps literally if they are your landlord.

Other contexts, such as that of the Middle East of antiquity, produce vampires who hold sacred the unwritten yet iron clad laws of hospitality. They would never dream of entering unannounced, or taking more than a token sip from one who invites them willingly into their home, but equally would feel no compunction over slaughtering one who turned them away. To these, a welcome mat is an amusement, not an invitation, and only the most desperate leach would stoop to taking a whimsical decoration as written law.

But then again, vampires are an imaginary metaphorical construct for describing the greedy people of a society, so really the answer is no.

Not to take this too literally but.... According to pagan and wiccan practices, the welcome mat gives permission to all potentially negative spirits to enter

My door mat says, "Dogs welcome, humans tolerated". I think I'm good.

My wife bought a welcome mat that says "please leave" in cursive. Highly recommend.

My welcome mat says come back with a warrant. That should keep em away right?

How do you think the industry started?

According to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the answer is yes.

That's why mine has an asterisk and fine print on the bottom that says "*not supernaturally binding for blood suckers"

A no soliciting sign doesn't stop solicitors, so I don't see why a welcome mat should have any more power.

Wasn’t there a serial killer that said an unlocked door meant he was invited to go inside? That’s why I’ve never used a doormat that has “Welcome” on it. Hopefully that applies to vampires too.

Only if the hemogoblin can read it. Just because they may have been around for centuries doesn't mean they've bothered to learn every language.

Only if you are Soooookie

Welcome is present day "well met" or something more like "I'm happy you're here" not "please come in my house".

So no, I think you can keep your mat; most vampires are probably old enough to take the original meaning anyway.

Nope. But mine says "welcome foolish mortals."

You've been added to the Best of Lemmy: https://sh.itjust.works/post/65361060

That's why I have one, but I'm still waiting on my dracula daddy to arrive

If it's down to the literal words and not the sentiment, there's nothing to stop the vampire from inventing their own language and teaching it to local villagers, where the sound or symbols,"no" mean, "please come in".

My Grandpa always had a "hello" mat because he would say hello to anyone, but not everybody was welcome.

you're welcome to stand on my mat as long as you want blood sucker, but you'll never come inside my house.

If you get one that says "Quarantine Zone" you can be assured vampires & humans will go away.

I'd expect yours to say "Well Cum" or some such

Yes

https://youtube.com/shorts/hD3V1Nwg7qQ