Red heads are a rare breed nowadays. They stand out in a crowd and earn nicknames such as "Ginger," "Carrot Top" or my favorite, "Pizza Head." Whatever the nickname, redheads definitely attract attention in society. There are so many misconceptions about red heads it's almost impossible to separate the facts from the myths. However, some may be easily debunked, such as all redheads are vampires. On the other hand, there are several myths about redheads that we, ourselves, didn't even know existed. I feel we could all be a little more informed about the fables concerning redheads.
1. We all have Gingervitis.
Well, according to Eric from "South Park," Gingervitis is a disease held by a kid who has orange hair, pale skin, and freckles on his face.This results from having no souls. These individuals must always stay away from the sun...what? Ok, it's funny, I get it. Now you are all well-informed about this "terrible disease."
2. Gingers have no souls.
Apparently, gingers have no souls and therefore, have a freckle on their face for everyone they have stolen. I can promise you with certainty that this is not true. Once again, we can thank "South Park" for the popularization of this idea. Although, some people argue that in the bible, the color red represents impurity and having red hair is representative of being sinful. Because of this, many were thought to be witches and were put to death.
3. There is more than one classification of ginger.
There are five categories of ginger, including:
Half-breeds/Dhampirs: Those people with auburn hair, due to one ginger parent and one non-ginger parent.
Self-loathing gingers: Those who dye their hair red.
North America ginger: redheads who reside in the U.S. who have gingervitis and are commonly seen as impotent.
UK ginger: redheads in the UK who are skilled in brainwashing.
Daywalkers: those gingers who can be exposed to the sun.
Who thinks of this stuff?
4. There is an actual day called "Kick a Ginger Day."
This "event" occurs every year on November 20. This day was created in relation to an episode of "South Park." "Kick a Ginger Day" has resulted in several injuries, and has in the last few years, become an international event. For real?
5. Gingers are going extinct.
Gingers are definitely not going extinct. Gingers will be around for a long time to come. This misconception is derived from the fact that red hair is a recessive trait. This gene can remain dormant for generations before coming into being. Even people who aren't redheads themselves may very well carry this recessive trait and pass it along for the future generations. So no, redheads are definitely not going anywhere.
6. We are all Irish.
As a ginger myself, I am not Irish, proving that there are, indeed, gingers who are not a part of the Celtic heritage. In fact, most of the world's population of redheads are in Scotland, not Ireland.
Red heads are unique than many people recognize. We are the result of a mutated gene, basically making us a mutant. We definitely belong in "X-Men." We can also create our own Vitamin D in the presence of low lighting conditions. Redheads also hold their natural pigment longer than any other color, which means we won't go gray for a very, very long time. Gingers are cooler than most people know. Embrace your red hair and rejoice in your freckles. It's what makes you unique. Oh, and here is a video of the funniest song about redheads ever written. I highly suggest giving it a listen.
