November 5 is National Love Your Red Hair Day, though if you ask me every day should be Love Your Red Hair Day.
With the nickname Ginge, you would guess that I’ve always loved and embraced my ginger locks. But, the truth is, I haven’t…
As a kid, I HATED being ginger, mainly because of the teasing and the bullies. I’ve heard just about every single ginger joke and insult you could possibly think of: “Does the rug match the curtains”, “Gingers have no souls”, “Hey Duracell”. And the list goes on.
I also hated being different from everyone else. Being ginger just wasn’t ‘cool’ or ‘normal’ when I was a kid. I didn’t exactly make things better for myself either – looking back now, I do regret perming my hair so I could look more like Annie, who was practically a god to me, not to mention my wannabe Cyndi Lauper phase.
But, I grew to appreciate what I had and, since being 16, I have well and truly loved being a ginge.
Gingers make up around 2-4% of the world population, which makes us pretty rare and unique. Scientifically, we’re a genetic mutation and slowly our numbers are decreasing (or so research suggests) – but that doesn’t mean we aren’t special.
I LOVE being ginger. I’m constantly telling my family I’m practically royalty, as the majority of the British royal family is ginger. I also like to brag about my uniqueness, as having both blue eyes and ginger hair is one of the rarest combinations.
But, positives aside, there are also the negatives, so here it is: my own devised list of the pros and cons of a ginger girl!
Pros:
- You’re unique!
- You can naturally rock pale skin
- Freckles!!
- There are many hot, ginger celebrities!
- We don’t go grey, instead we go white.
- We now have a Ginger Pride day (it’s about time!)
- People envy your beautiful locks!
- You stand out in a crowd.
- Compliments! People love to compliment gingers!
- There is a long list of colours that look great on us! (Burgundy is currently my favourite shade to wear!)
- You can never ever fake being ginger. It will fade in about 1-2 weeks. The fakers are so easy to spot.
- February 22 is national hug a ginger day. That’s right everyone, share the love.
- One word: FIERY!
- We’re better at creating Vitamin D.
- We aren’t going extinct! (Party time)
- Only a ginger can call another ginger, ginger. That’s right.
Cons:
- Pale skin = sunburnt skin. Honestly, I swear I am the only person who gets sun burn… In winter.
- Freckles! (man I love them but sometimes they get too much)
- People will tease. Yes I am ginger. Well done.
- Thanks to South Park, gingers are constantly being reminded that we “have no souls”.
- Ancient Greece and medieval Romania also believed gingers were vampires, which I guess also suggests we have no souls.
- Research shows that gingers are more sensitive to pain and to temperatures.
- Research also shows that amnestic is less effective on gingers. Which makes dental appointments fun…
- We look stupid with a tan. Sorry guys and gals but it’s true. Carrot is not a good look!
- Older generations will constantly tell you that you must marry another ginger and have ginger babies because clearly it is our responsibility to ensure the ginger race doesn’t become extinct…
- Bleach blond eyebrows and eyelashes. I mean why can’t I have ginger eyebrows and eye lashes!?!
- Gingerism is now a real thing…
- The short temper can be a real problem. Honestly I may look sweet and polite, but it doesn’t take much to make me tick…