Redheads don't need any excuse to celebrate their ginger hair, but St. Patrick's Day is one date on the calendar where they can do just that – it's an unofficial redhead holiday!
It won't be unusual for many redheads to be spending most of the day hearing comments like "Oh, you're ginger? You must be Irish". But why is it so commonly believed that natural gingers have Irish heritage?
Here are the facts/theories to celebrate redheads this St. Patrick's Day:
10% of Ireland has red hair
Image: Ginger Parrot.
They may not beat Scotland with the highest percentage of gingerness at 13%, but the Emerald Isle comes in second with a respectable 10%. And it has also been estimated that around 46% of the country's population carries the ginger gene, known as MC1R, that is responsible for red hair to occur. These people don't have to have red hair themselves, so we like to call these people "secret gingers."
Redheads look great in green
Don't tell me I don't look great! Image: iStock.
In terms of the color spectrum, orange and green complement each other beautifully as they are on opposite ends, and with green being Ireland's national color, something about a redhead wearing green instantly conjures a Celtic image.
The Irish climate suits gingers perfectly
You'll find us hiding from the sun. Image: iStock.
Thanks to our ginger genetics, natural redheads can create vitamin D under much lower UV conditions. And we all know how much redheads are better off in the shade and out of the sun. It's even believed that gingers feel heat pain and changes in temperature more than other hair shades, so it's better to keep us in mild and cloudy climes.
Maureen O'Hara's Irish redhead heritage
Our favorite redhead.
The Irish-American actress and singer represented redheads as the beautiful, talented and rare treasures that they are. She was born and bred in the Dublin suburb of Ranelagh before moving to Hollywood to pursue her acting career in 1939 at age 19.
Gingers are good luck
The luck of the Irish is always with redheads. Image: iStock.
A tradition in Poland says that if you pass three redheads in a row, you will win the state lottery. Luck of the Irish, or luck of the redheads, let's combine the two for a double whammy of good luck!
'Redheads Anonymous'
The hilarious myth-busting and stereotype-mocking web series Redheads Anonymous is nothing short of comical genius. Check out episode 1 above, which follows protagonist Molly and her other ginger friends on St. Patrick's Day, no less!
However you choose to spend St. Patrick's Day, make it gingerful!
Article by Emma Kelly, Editor & Founder of Ginger Parrot.
This article was submitted to the IrishCentral contributors network by a member of the global Irish community. To become an IrishCentral contributor click here.
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