- Categories:
- Special Interest
- Tags:
- ActivitiesFriendshipLove
- Where:
- United States
- Date change rule:
- Every January 12
- Holiday emoji:
- ❤️
Kiss a Ginger Day arrives every January 12, offering a playful opportunity to show appreciation for redheads around the globe. With their distinctive fiery tresses, gingers make up a unique and vibrant part of the population. Take this day to compliment a redhead, share a kind word, or even bestow a friendly kiss (with consent, of course!).
Want to sponsor Kiss a Ginger Day? Learn how
Expected Kiss a Ginger Day Deals
As Kiss a Ginger Day approaches, expect to see playful promotions from beauty brands, hair care lines, and even fashion retailers. Historically, companies like L’Oréal, Redken, and Sephora have offered discounts on hair dyes, conditioning treatments, and products designed for vibrant hair colors. Look out for special offers on ginger-themed apparel or accessories from online boutiques. We will update this page with confirmed live deals as January 12 approaches.
Platform Guide for Kiss a Ginger Day
TikTok
Tag @www.nationaltoday.com and use #KissAGingerDay. Share fun videos celebrating redheads, showing off ginger pride, or participating in playful challenges.
Tag @nationaltoday_ and use #KissAGingerDay. Post photos or reels highlighting beautiful red hair, unique ginger styles, or heartwarming moments of appreciation.
X/Twitter
Mention @NatlToday and use #KissAGingerDay. Share funny anecdotes, facts about redheads, or shout-outs to your favorite gingers in real-time conversations.
Kiss a Ginger Day Hero
Brendan Lynch
History of Kiss a Ginger Day
Vivid reds have always represented power, passion, and high energy, just like lovable redheads around the world. On Kiss A Ginger Day, we express our appreciation for redheads, who pull off the color so well and have a personality to match! So, find your favorite ginger and give them a kiss.
In the olden days, red hair had a bad reputation. Associated with witches and the ability to overpower the senses of others, redheads were often shunned from society, or worse. Thankfully, this myth went away with time, and we can’t get enough of enchanting redheads today. It is quite trendy to sport red hair today, with more and more people dying their hair in striking hues of red.
Even though redheads are no longer considered to be practitioners of witchcraft, a holiday exists that isn’t the kindest towards them. To counter it, Kiss A Ginger Day was started by Derek Forgie in 2009 on a Facebook group, and it went viral.
The red hair gene requires a duplicate for it to materialize. Even then, there is no guarantee that it will. There is a one in four chance of your child being redheaded if both parents have the gene. Blue-eyed gingers are the rarest, making up only 1% of the world’s total population. So really, if you know a redhead or are one, consider yourself lucky.
Kiss a Ginger Day timeline
Red hair began to spread to the Balkans and central and Western Europe, which became established as the geographical and historical homeland of red-haired culture.
Redhead Day begins in the Netherlands, a Dutch summer festival that celebrates the beauty of natural red hair.
Kiss A Ginger Day was founded by Derek Forgie to counter ‘Kick A Ginger Day’ which occurs every November.
Superstar Rihanna has her hairstylist Ursula Stephen dye her hair ‘‘Rihanna Red.’’
How Businesses Can Celebrate Kiss a Ginger Day
Local businesses can embrace Kiss a Ginger Day by offering playful promotions or themed products. Hair salons could provide discounts on red hair coloring services or conditioning treatments for natural redheads. Bakeries might create ginger-themed treats like gingerbread cookies or red velvet cupcakes. Retailers could highlight fashion items that complement red hair, encouraging customers to celebrate this unique trait.
Redheads By the numbers
<1,000,000 — the number of people having rare combinations of red hair and blue or green eyes.
90,000 — the number of hair strands a redhead has.
20% — the percentage more of anesthesia that redheads require for medical procedures.
6 — the number of shades of red commonly occurring.
16th Century — the time period when women with red hair were accused of witchcraft.
30% — the percentage of people who dye their hair red.
6-18 million — the number of redheads in the U.S.
13% — the percentage of redheads living in Scotland, the highest ever.
1 in 10 — the number of Irish people who have red hair.
Kiss a Ginger Day FAQs
When is Kiss a Ginger Day?
In 2027, Kiss a Ginger Day is observed on Tuesday, January 12, providing another opportunity to show affection for redheads. Mark your calendars to honor the vibrant spirit of gingers.
How rare is red hair?
Globally, roughly 1 to 2 percent of people have natural red hair, with the highest concentrations found in northern and western Europe. This genetic trait is a distinctive and cherished characteristic for many.
Which countries have the most redheads?
While often associated with Ireland, Scotland actually boasts the highest proportion of redheads per capita, followed by Ireland and Wales. These regions have a strong cultural connection to the distinctive hair color.
What causes red hair?
The distinctive fiery hue of red hair is primarily due to higher levels of pheomelanin and lower levels of eumelanin, controlled by variants of the MC1R gene. This genetic predisposition gives redheads their unique hair and often lighter skin tones.
Kiss a Ginger Day Activities
Kiss a ginger! (Duh.)
If you are lucky enough to have a special someone in your life who rocks red locks – give ‘em a kiss! Or two. Or more, just don’t get chapped lips. And please, make sure you have consent before smooching. Hell hath no fury like a ginger kissed without consent.
Do something nice for a red-head you love
You can do so much more than just give a kiss (get your head out of the gutter!) and there may be redheads in your life you don’t particularly want to kiss in the first place (sorry family members). Make a point to do something nice for them. It can be a simple as sending flowers or cooking them a meal. It can be a big surprise like a weekend trip or some jewelry. Whatever you choose to do, make sure you let them know how much they mean to you!
Enjoy movies and music by famous gingers
So many of the celebrities and artists we love are gingers. Take the time to enjoy their works on National Sticker day! Listen to the music of Ed Sheeran or Florence Welch of Florence & The Machine. Watch a movie or TV show featuring your favorite redhead, such as Lindsay Lohan, Amy Adams, or Christina Hendricks. Enjoy the the films, music, and art that gingers have blessed us with!
5 Reasons Why Redheads Are The Best
It’s extremely rare
Only 1% of the people in the world are redheaded.
They don’t go gray
Redheads don’t go gray!
The color spectrum
The range of colors redheads have spans from burgundy to bright copper.
Red hair dates back to the Vikings
Red hair is a layover from the period of the Vikings.
The strands are thick
Each strand of red hair is thicker than other color strands.
Why We Love Kiss a Ginger Day
Redheads don’t go grey!
Gingers, you lucky ducks! Red hair holds it’s pigment longer than other shades. When it does fade, it becomes a silvery-white, not grey or dull. So redheads, if you ever find yourself wishing you had different colored tresses, remember that not only are you envied for your hair now, but that jealousy will only continue to grow as we all get older and your hair still looks amazing!
They’re rare
Redheads seem to be far less common than blonde, brunette, and black hair. That’s because the gene which causes fiery locks is recessive, meaning you would need the gene from both parents for a child to have red hair. Today, people travel more than ever. We marry outside out local communities and move all over the world. This means gingers have become rarer than ever before and the percentage of people with red hair continues to decrease. Redheads are unique and we admire their striking hair, as it continues to stand out more and more.
They inspire great art and fun stories
The striking color of red hair is something artists can’t resist. Gingers can be seen in works of art such as Sandro Botticelli’s, “The Birth of Venus”, Edvard Munch’s, “Lady From The Sea”, Mary Cassatt’s, “Maternal Kiss”, and Gustav Klimt’s, “Danae”. Don’t forget the redheads from our childhood! Ariel, Merida, Annie – all gingers with fun stories. We send a big thank you to all gingers for inspiring the art and films we love so much!
Kiss a Ginger Day dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 | January 12 | Tuesday |
| 2028 | January 12 | Wednesday |
| 2029 | January 12 | Friday |
| 2030 | January 12 | Saturday |
| 2031 | January 12 | Sunday |
Social Media Tips for Kiss a Ginger Day
Individuals
Creators
Brands