Hundreds of redheads will gather in Germany on September 8 and 9 for MC1R magazine's second annual Redhead Day. The kick-off party for the event takes place on Saturday; a group picture will be taken on Sunday.
Redheads are a minority all over the world, and they are still struggling with cliches that already existed in the Middle Ages.
"People associate hair color with problems, which actually makes it a problem," said Tristan Rodgers, the red-headed organizer of the gathering. But his event is not about the problems but rather "to have fun with this special gathering," he said, "and to make a positive statement and celebrate together at a time when people in certain regions are being reduced to physical and cultural traits."
Rodgers is the editor of an art magazine called MC1R, for Melanocortin 1 Receptor, which is the name of the gene mutation associated with red hair.
Rodgers is also working on a massive project to map the world's redheads more accurately. The magazine editor and creative director believes that less than one percent of the world's population is flame-haired — a figure that however goes up to 10 percent in Ireland.
The Hamburg-based Northern Ireland native also found that northern Germany is another redhead hotbed.
Our picture gallery presents a selection of 10 famous and inspiring redheads:
The fact that red hair is so rare has made it challenging for many people who grew up with that color. There are nevertheless more than a few popular role models to boost their self-esteem.
Image: picture-alliance"Her hair, the color of a carrot, was braided in two tight braids that stuck right out." Astrid Lindgren's famous freckled character is eccentric, super-strong and extremely fun to be around. Pippi Longstocking inspired generations of children, serving as a kick-ass role model for unconventional young girls — and she's certainly emboldened more than a few redheads along the way too.
Another fictional character has served as a cultural icon for redheads for over a century. The 11-year-old orphan Anne Shirley is extremely sensitive about her hair, and "her temper matches her hair" — reflecting the widespread belief that redheads are impulsive. Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery's 1908 novel was adapted into many hit series, including a new Netflix production, Anne With An E.
Actor Rupert Grint was only 11 when he shot to fame as Harry Potter's wizard friend, Ron Weasley. Back in the Middle Ages, people with red hair were believed to be witches, werewolves or vampires. The German Malleus Maleficarum (1487), the world's best-known treatise on witchcraft, recommended burning red-haired men — "unmistakably vampires" — and spreading their ashes to fertilize fields.
Academy-award winning actress Julianne Moore was once dubbed Hollywood's "ginger icon." Yet as a child, she hated being a redhead. While she obviously came to accept it, her experience inspired her to write a book series about a red-haired, freckled 7-year-old girl who's learning to love the skin she's in. The title of the series is based on her own nickname as a kid: Freckleface Strawberry.
Regularly voted the world's hottest male royal, Prince Harry certainly contributed to boosting the confidence of his fellow red-headed men. Ginger hair occurs naturally in only one to two percent of the human population, which is why it has often been feared and ridiculed. Queen Elizabeth I of England was also a redhead, making the hair color fashionable for women during her era.
Different polls have found that ever since singer Ed Sheeran became popular, men with red hair were getting more positive attention from women and were teased less about their locks, a phenomenon dubbed "the Ed Sheeran effect." There's still discrimination against the ginger minority. For instance, one of the world's largest sperm banks refuses donations from red-haired men due to the low demand.
If ginger men have been establishing their hunky reputation only recently, the stereotype for red-headed women is rather that they are highly libidinous beings, like the animated sex symbol Jessica Rabbit. Many iconic redhead stars weren't actually born with that hair color, including Lucille Ball, Christina Hendricks, Emma Stone and Spice Girl Geri Halliwell.
Everyone is talking about how Idris Elba would write history by becoming the first Black James Bond, but Damian Lewis — who's also been tipped as a potential replacement for Daniel Craig — would also be a pioneering red-headed agent 007. No matter what happens, the Homeland star sees things positively: "This might be a unique moment in recent history: Redheads everywhere are doing well," he said.
Way before Ed Sheeran and Prince Harry reached puberty, Axl Rose was the world's only red-headed rock god. Even if he hid part of his locks under his trademark bandana, the Guns N' Roses frontman demonstrated that black was not the only acceptable color to head bang.
The singer is also renowned for her fiery locks, but Tori Amos is actually part of the club of women who've adopted the color from a bottle. "I have the ginger ninja spirit in my heart," she once declared. "I just know redheads have more fun — because I remember when I wasn't one and it wasn't as good."
eg/db (with dpa)
