In France, to be redheaded is thought to be a very bad fate.
Red hair is a genetic mutation.
Percentages of redheads in different countries range from single digits to a fraction of 1 per cent -- a recent estimate for France is 0.03 per cent of people.
Redheads generally are more numerous in northern latitudes, but also turn up among Hungarians, Egyptians, Israelis and certain Nigerian tribes.
In Denmark it is an honour to have a redheaded child.
In Corsica, if you pass one in the street you spit and turn around.
Short temper and sexual fieriness are attributed to them. It is "common knowledge" that redheads have hot tempers, but no one has ever seen a controlled study that tested the correlation. So while some like to use that excuse, it probably isn't a valid one. As for the sexual fieriness trial and error I say
In Poland, if you pass three red-heads you'll win the state lottery,
Harvard dermatologist Madhu Pathak calls redheads "three-time losers" because their red pigment is an inadequate filter of sunlight and their skin is more susceptible to sunburn, skin cancer and wrinkling with age.
There are two kinds of redhead, says Mary Spillane, managing director of British image consultants Colour Me Beautiful. There's "the autumn type with hazel eyes," and the Celtic type with translucent skin, light eyes and carrot top -- leprechaun redness "that people have trouble with.
Redheads have always been thought untrustworthy. As some claim Judas was red-haired.
Superstitions: red hair is unlucky; it's lucky to rub your hand on a redhead's head; bees sting redheads more readily. The Egyptians regarded the colour as so unlucky that they had a ceremony in which they burned red-headed maidens alive to wipe out the tint.
Red hair is commonly associated with people of British or Irish descent, although red hair is found in many other parts of the world.
Scotland is the country with the highest content of red haired people which includes approximately 13% of their population. read more...