Overview
- The observance traces to photographer Bart Rouwenhorst’s 2005 call for redheads, which grew into Breda’s Redhead Days and established the date.
- Red hair arises from recessive variants in the MC1R gene on chromosome 16 that boost pheomelanin, often accompanying fair, UV‑sensitive skin and freckles.
- Demographic estimates place natural redheads at about 1–2% of the world population, with much higher prevalence in Scotland (around 13%) and Ireland (around 11%).
- Coverage notes a shift from long‑standing myths and prejudice, including references dating to ancient Rome, toward contemporary “red pride” celebrations of identity.
- Medical reporting revisits research on pain perception in redheads, with findings that remain mixed and a 2021 Massachusetts General Hospital study proposing an MC1R‑linked mechanism as experts urge caution.