National Redhead Day!

Did you know only 2% of the world’s population has red hair?
Maybe you could’ve guessed that one, but here’s something you probably didn’t know: Today (Nov. 5) is National Redhead Day! 

National Redhead Day, held annually on November 5, is 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! And if you have a loved one with red hair, today is your day to celebrate them!

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. 

The holiday experts at NationalToday.com have some fun ideas to celebrate, interesting facts about redheads, and more to help people from coast to coast get the most out of the holiday. 

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 African American or even Chinese. Another reason to celebrate redheads today (and every day) is the fact that much of the British royal bloodline were redheads. Queen Elizabeth, I, herself was a proud redhead — and passed that gene down. 

Here are 5 colorful facts about redheads in honor of National Redhead Day today: 

1. The rarest of the rare? Red hair and blue eyes. Though you may think redheads typically have blue eyes, you are wrong. Very few redheads have blue eyes — in fact, most of them have brown. ​
2. Redheads grey slower​. Another plus of being a redhead is that their hair turns to grey slower than other hair colors. So enjoy and embrace that color even more! ​
3. Redheads tend to be left-handed. Beating out both blondes and brunettes, more redheads are left-handed than any other hair color. Yet another thing that makes them stand out. ​
4. ​Redheads have fewer hair strands. According to research, redheads have on average 90,000 strands of hair. This is fewer than brunettes who clock in at 140,000 strands and blondes at 110,000. ​
5. ​Redheads are better at making Vitamin D. Redheads are great at making their own Vitamin D. This is likely because they have less eumelanin in their bodies than other hair colors, so they’ve got to make up for it somehow.

For more information, visit https://nationaltoday.com/national-redhead-day/.