Redhead Appreciation Day – September 23, 2022, history significance why we celebrate

Redhead Appreciation Day – September 23, 2022, history significance why we celebrate

Redhead Appreciation Day on September 23 reminds us of the beauty and uniqueness of red-haired people. They possess the rarest hair shade and are often associated with having a “fiery” or “hot-tempered” nature. Whether that’s true or not, we can’t deny that redheads are like rare birds of paradise, making up just four percent of the world’s population!

Nicknamed gingers, carrot-tops, flame-haired, “ranga”, “bluey,” redheads can often feel like outcasts and stand out in the crowd. So if you are a redhead, or have a redhead friend or family member, today is the day to appreciate them in all their flaming glory!

History of Redhead Appreciation Day

The natural genes of redheads can be traced back for thousands of years. It is believed that the first people with red hair appeared in Central Asia. In classical literature, redheads have been portrayed with some less-than positive characteristics, especially among men.

One topic that makes an interesting study is that of royal redheads throughout history. Red hair has often been associated with Celtic people, as described by both the Greeks and the Romans

One of the most famous redheaded royal women in history is Boadicea, a queen of the British Icea tribe in the first century AD. She led an uprising against the Roman Empire for which she was still considered to be a folk hero, even though the battle was lost. Boadicea is rumored to have been extremely tall with a terrifying appearance that included red hair hanging down her back below her waist.

Other famous redheads are English royals Queen Elizabeth I and her father, Henry VIII, as well as Winston Churchill, the prime minister of the United Kingdom during WWII. Playwright George Bernard Shaw and American author Mark Twain were also both known as redheads.

Oliver Cromwell was another famous British redhead who was a leader of England and Scotland in the 1600s and was one of the people who signed the death warrant for Charles I. Eventually, after his death, Cromwell’s body was tried and convicted of regicide crimes, so his embalmed ginger head was put on a spike and purportedly changed hands over the next 300 years.

Some cultures have believed that women who have red hair are witches, while others have tended to think that women with red hair have special powers. In fact, some of this might be more than myth. Scientists have shown that redheads are more sensitive to temperature changes, they may have a higher pain awareness and their skin might even smell better!

Because red hair is a recessive gene, it is the rarest natural hair color in the world, with only 1-2% of the population having the privilege of being called a redhead or a ginger.

Redhead Appreciation Day is meant to set aside time to let these rare beauties in the world know how much their uniqueness is appreciated and how much they are loved. So take a moment on Redhead Appreciation Day to tell a redhead – whether it’s an adorable baby ginger or a huge burly one – how special they really are!

REDHEAD APPRECIATION DAY TIMELINE

2000–1500 BC
In the genes
The pioneers of red hair began to spread to the Balkans and central and Western Europe, which became established as the geographical and historical homeland of red-haired culture.

1478
A flaming incorrect depiction
The unusual hair color became a physical depiction of “otherness,” with notable artists such as Anthony van Dyke and even Shakespeare attributing redhead characteristics as untrustworthy and treacherous.

1980
An unfaithful study?
A French study compares societal views on blonde, brunette, and red-headed women, with the results showing the redheaded woman is seen as more mean and more likely to be unfaithful than the other two.

2005
Celebrating red hair
Redhead Day begins in the Netherlands, a Dutch summer festival that celebrates the beauty of natural red hair.

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5 AMAZING FACTS ABOUT THE POWER OF REDHEADS

Sensual smells
An 1886 study by Dr. Augustin Galopin observed a redhead woman gave off an earthy and sensual scent, and later it was discovered that when perfume is sprayed onto a redhead’s skin it will smell different as a result of their rare biochemistry.

Redheads are technically mutants
Gingers are physically and genetically different, thanks to one very important gene called MC1R, which produces a protein called melanin that determines the pigmentation of their hair and skin.

Vitamin D and pain powers
Research indicates that redheads have higher thresholds for pain and need less vitamin D than everyone else.

Redhead worship
Around 1000 B.C. a people known as the Thracians worshipped gods with red hair and blue eyes, which is actually the rarest hair and eye color combination.

Ancient Egyptians loved red hair
Because red can often be seen as powerful psychologically, certain Egyptian rulers chose to rule with red henna in their hair.

WHY WE LOVE REDHEAD APPRECIATION DAY

Redheads are rare
The genes and timing have to be exactly right to even stand a chance of producing a redhead child, as it is recessive. At the very minimum, both parents have to be carriers of the mutated MC1R redhead gene. If both parents are carriers but don’t have red hair, they’ve got one in four odds, or a twenty-five percent shot. Sadly, if even one parent doesn’t hold that lucky MC1R gene, there’s just no chance of seeing red. That’s why everyone should appreciate a redhead when they see one!

Red is the hardest color to fake!
Gingers are the easiest hair color to spot in a crowd, but they are also the hardest color to get from a bottle. Red hair dye tends to fade faster than the rest. Not to mention, natural red hair holds on to its pigment better, making it difficult to dye.

TV commercials love redheads
A 2014 report by Upstream Analysis discovered that at one point, CBS showcased a redhead every 106 seconds. Perhaps getting so much of the same regularly means seeing something different makes redheads memorable!