It's National ‘Kiss a Ginger Day', and you know what that means

LOS ANGELES - Their fiery hair, pale skin, and bright eyes make redheads some of the most stunning people in the world. And on Friday, January 12, we get to celebrate them on National Kiss a Ginger Day! 

Less than 2 percent of the entire world’s population has red hair, if you don’t count all the people who get their flaming red locks from a box. 

Long before South Park accused gingers of being soulless, this rarity caused a variety of myths to develop about redheads as far back as the Middle Ages, including the beliefs that redheads were bad luck and that they were witches. 

Now the unofficial holiday, which was started in 2009 by Derek Forgie as an antidote to the modern-day bullying of gingers, celebrates these genetic rarities. 

Those blessed with red hair can thank a mutation of MC1R, a gene that produces a type of melanin. They can also thank this mutation for their charming freckles. 

So find your favorite redhead, let them know how much they mean to you, and (only with their go-ahead) give them a “ginger” smooch!