Things You Didn't Know Existed: Gingerism

Gingerism is a form of discrimination against redheads. It is often compared to racism. Yes, I know a lot of you are probably laughing at the thought but it's true. It's prominent in the United Kingdom but is also experienced in the United States, Australia and Canada as well. It sounds unbelievable but it has indeed been documented and verified over the years. Gingerism may take place in milder forms such as name calling with words like ranga or fanta pants. Extreme forms actually involved physical harm and harrassment against redheads. Several years ago, a redhead family of four in Britain had to move because people vandalized their home with rocks and left threatening letters to them simply because they all had red hair. It's thought the cause of discrimination in the United Kingdom began because the Celts (such as the Irish and the Scots), who have been and still are discriminated against, had red hair before Nordic influence. Thus red hair was associated with Celts who were considered witches, barbaric and inferior. As British colonies branched out into the United States, Canada and Australia, the idea was taken with them. This is probably why gingerism is not typically witnessed in Middle Eastern or Hispanic countries despite having significant populations of red hair. In the Middle East, all the way back to Ancient Egypt, red hair was a prized trait. Pharoah Ramesses II (a.k.a. Rameses the Great) had red hair as did his father Seti I. In Islam, the prophet Muhammad dyed his hair red with henna, a practice still in use today and popular in Western countries as an alternative form to chemical ridden hair dye. So gingerism seems to be mostly, if not completely, limited to English speaking countries with British roots.

Marcia Cross is an American actress who is famous for her red hair in the United States.