A delightful case of pheomelanism

Originally uploaded by e³°°°

Redhead Day 2009, Breda (the Netherlands) see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redheadday & www.roodharigen.nl

The pigment pheomelanin gives red hair its distinctive colour. Red hair has far more pheomelanin than other hair colours, but far less of the dark pigment eumelanin.

The genetics of red hair, discovered in 1997, appears to be associated with the melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R), which is found on chromosome 16.

Red hair is the rarest natural hair colour, aproximately 1% to 2 % of the human population has red hair. Scotland : 13% of the population, Ireland : 10 %; Wales : 10 %.

Ginger girls / Redhead Day in Breda

Originally uploaded by e³°°°

Comments posted by photographer on flickr:

Yesterday, it was “Redhead Day” in Breda, a city in the Netherlands. Hundreds and hundreds redheads (like me) from 25 different countries were gathering in the city. Mostly ladies, less men.  A feast for photographers.

For more see  http://www.roodharigen.nl

Gisteren 6 september naar de Roodharigendag geweest in Breda, een roodharigenfestijn met een mooi programma. Schitterende ervaring, mijn ogen rolden uit mijn kop.

Photo used from official event website: http://www.roodharigen.nl/

It is a pity we missed this year’s Redhead Day (or any of the previous celebrations!) but we couldn’t wait to share this event with you—even if it is almost year away! Besides, those of us in the United States will need to save up to make the trip–a trip well worth it.

The fifth annual Redhead Day will be celebrated on the 5th of September in the Netherlands in the city of Breda. This is a celebration of the beauty and wonder that is the redhead. Per the website, “there will be all kinds of activities” and a group photo of thousands of people with red hair.

There is outdoor fun planned as well indoor fun. Dinner. Drinks. Dancing. A genuine chance to not stick out like a sore thumb. A once-in-a-lifetime chance to be surrounded with others who share your unique hair color.

Come one…come all…celebrate your red hair!!!