It's Heart A Ginga Day

Heart A Ginga day is being celebrated across New Zealand today. The day has apparently been renamed from 'Hug A Ginga Day', "to demonstrate 100% support and love for redheaded people all over New Zealand."

Promotion of the renamed event can be credited to Kiwi radio station The Edge.

Interestingly, the use of 'ginga', a word often considered offensive to red heads in the United Kingdom, has had a largely positive influence on red headed Kiwis.

According to 3news.co.nz, one participant says being called 'ginga' is "the ultimate compliment for a redhead". She continues, “This day is one of my favourites as I get gifts like Fanta, redbull, and gingernuts and receive the coolest compliments… this is one of the things that makes it great to be a ginge in NZ.”

Please, don't call me ginger

St. Cloud Times writer Adam Hammer elaborates on his most hated nickname: ginger.

Growing up with red hair, I’ve heard many associated nicknames — “flame brain,” “little red,” “carrot top,” “big red” and simply, “red” to name a few. All make me uneasy, but the one that comes the closest to a fighting word is “ginger.”

As soon as it rolls off the tongue, you know it isn’t meant as anything close to a compliment.

Source

Boxing war of words includes gingerism

Middleweight boxing adversaries DeGale and Groves have been caught in a war of words as the clock ticks down to their next fight. Groves dismissed DeGale's banter as childish, since his jibes have included a dig at Groves' supposedly bad breath and calling him "that ugly ginger kid".

Groves's response? "He's called me ugly - wow! It doesn't really cut too deep. He's called me ginger - it's not the first time I've heard that. That's the level he's at as a human being, but I'm above all that."

Source

More evidence of gingerism within the NFL

Late last month we published an article detailing a commentator's thoughts on the direct correlation between red hair and poor talent on the field. It seems this is a trend within the NFL, as another article has surfaced jokingly insinuating that Andy Dalton wasn't drafted in the first round because of, as the commentator puts it, "Gingerism, I tell ya."

Source: 2011 NFL Draft Round 1 Analysis: Why Carolina Took Cam Newton

Photographer taunted because of red hair

A photographer covering a court case in Massachusetts was on the receiving end of gingerism this week. Whilst photographing Touched By Angels CEO Gina Clark leaving the courthouse, one of her "entourage" spotted the photographer and shouted "Get a life, you f***ing red head!".

Source: Gina Clark pleads not guilty to all charges in Barnstable Superior Court today