What is National Redhead Day?
November 5 is National Redhead Day, and it’s every redhead’s chance to shine with each gorgeous strand of their hair. Redheads are often treated like the odd man (or woman) out, as they possess the rarest of hair colors. Plus, redheads are described as “fiery” and “hot-tempered.” If you have red hair, today is your day to be however way you want!
History of National Redhead Day
Every November 5, National Redhead Day is also known as Love Your Red Hair Day in the United States, the United Kingdom and other parts of the world. Although the rest of us natural brunettes and blondes may throw a little shade, people with red hair get this one day to celebrate their most rare of hair colors.
We have two redhead sisters to thank for coming up with Love Your Red Hair Day or National Redhead Day. In 2015, Adrienne and Stephanie Vendetti wanted people to be proud of their red hair in response to negative posts on a Kick a Ginger Day site. (The term, ‘ginger,’ is seen as a derogatory description of people with red hair.” As part of their slapback, the women created their website, “How To Be a Redhead,” which eventually added Love Your Red Hair Day.
So, what makes redheads so special? It’s all about genetics. If both your parents were born with the mutated MC1R gene on Chromosome 16, you’re probably a redhead. But, you can still be born with red hair even if neither of your parents has it. Even if one of your parents is a redhead, there’s one chance in two that their child may be red-haired. It’s also possible to be a natural redhead if you’re a black person or even, Chinese.
In historical folklore, redheads were often accused of being witches who “stole the fire of hell” and were later burned at the stake during the Spanish Inquisition. Additionally, red-haired people were seen as “unclean” nymphomaniacs. All of this, of course, is untrue but some of the stereotypes of redheads have lasted to this day. On National Redhead Day, rock your hair any way you like and hold your flame-colored head up proudly!
