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Redheads Unite in Holland
by Penny Middelraad
If you are one of us, you have heard all the
nicknames and comments many times:
“Red,” “Carrot top,” and “Oh, I love your
hair – who colors it?” You also know what
it’s like to stand out in a crowd. In fact, you
are used to it by now – that feeling of always
being just a little bit conspicuous, no matter
how much you try to blend in. Well, I’ve
found the place where you can really blend
in and be part of the crowd for a change. It
is Redhead Days in Breda.
Early in September each year, this festival
in Breda celebrates red hair. September
2012 was the sixth annual event and once I
heard about it, I knew that I had to attend.
My husband Roland and I went with Elanna,
Bailey and Scott Reiss. Roland and Scott are
both redheads, too. After we listened to the
opening remarks, we discovered that even
Australians came to attend this event. Then
we redheads strolled to a park nearby for a
group photo session. The goal this year was
to set a new record of redheads together in
one place, and we succeeded. There were over
1,200 of us for the photo session for Guinness
World Records.
I also learned a few pertinent facts about
red hair. First, only 1 – 2% of the world population
has red hair, but it does exist throughout
the world, even in places like Africa and
China where dark hair is so prevalent. The
hair color occurs with the presence of two
copies of a recessive gene on chromosome 16,
causing a mutation in the MC1R protein. This
mutation in the MC1R protein has been traced
40 GOING DUTCH
back about 50,000 years to Mesopotamia,
which basically corresponds to modern Iraq
and is where much of civilization as we know
it started. I’ve heard from some who have
visited northern Turkey that there are still
plenty of redheads in that part of the world.
Of course, we all know that having red hair
makes us more susceptible to sunburn, but did
you also know that we are more sensitive to
heat? We seem to feel pain more easily, so a
little extra Novocaine at the dentist is a good
idea. Finally, our reputation for having a fiery
temper may not be entirely justified. We just
naturally have higher levels of adrenaline
than the rest of you.
It was really a wonderful experience to
participate in this event. At times I did feel
a bit strange being around so many other
people so much like me; the redhead boys
with me, Roland and Scott, said the same
thing. I remember once while in New York
City I was waiting at the ferry terminal to go
to Ellis Island. Standing in that large room
of hundreds of people, I looked around and
saw absolutely no one with red or even blond
hair. I was the lone red in a sea of dark. That
was an extreme event for me. Coming from
the Gulf Coast, I am used to being in a very
small minority. Since moving here to Holland,
I see many more redheads than I was used to
back in the States. The largest concentration
of redheads is the UK, of course, but Holland
is not far behind.
Manifesto of Gingers
by Anonymous
We, the natural gingers of the world,
hereby declare the following principles as
part of the forthcoming revolution:
We strive for a ginger utopia. A world
where red headed people not only are not
ridiculed and ostracized, but where our
tonal superiority is envied and celebrated.
Our status and privilege will be great and
abundant.
We are varied in tone. Our hair ranges
from strawberry blonde through to dark
auburn and everything in between (this
includes shades of dull orange, orange,
copper, burnt orange, red, dark, red and
auburn).
We exist without skin colour, eye colour,
religion, nationality, age, creed, sex or class.
We do not discriminate on this basis. We are
bonded through our hair colour alone...
About ten years ago I decided to let my
hair grow longer while it is still red, in order
to celebrate my uniqueness. While in Breda,
I discovered what it felt like to be so similar,
too. So next year, if you are one of us, come
join me in Breda. If you don’t have red hair,
come anyway to see all the beautiful shades.
You can read more in English about the festival
at www.roodharigen.nl.
NOVEMBER 2012 41