thumb|[[President of Chile|Chilean President Sebastián Piñera arriving in Paris in October 2010]]
A red carpet is traditionally used to mark the route taken by heads of state on ceremonial and formal occasions, and has in recent decades been extended to use by VIPs and celebrities at formal events.
History
thumbnail|[[President of the United States|United States President Barack Obama exiting Air Force One on red carpet]]
thumb|upright|[[Halle Berry attending the premiere of the movie Robots]]
The earliest known reference to walking a red carpet in literature is in the play Agamemnon by Aeschylus, written in 458 BC. When the title character returns from Troy, he is greeted by his wife Clytemnestra who offers him a red path to walk upon:
Agamemnon, knowing that only gods walk on such luxury, responds with trepidation: