You’ve probably seen the memes. Maybe you’ve even seen the weirdly aggressive Facebook posts from a decade ago. But if you’re looking for a specific date on a calendar for when is National Kick a Ginger Day, you won't find it sanctioned by any official holiday board. It’s not real. At least, it’s not "real" in the sense of Hallmark cards or bank holidays.
The internet says it happens on November 20th.
It’s a date that lives in infamy for people with red hair, mostly because it transitioned from a bad joke into a very real problem for students across the US, Canada, and the UK. Honestly, the whole thing is a fascinating, if somewhat depressing, case study in how a single piece of media can spiral into a global harassment campaign.
The South Park Connection That Started It All
Everything traces back to one specific episode of South Park.
In 2005, the show aired an episode titled "Ginger Kids." In it, the character Eric Cartman gives a presentation claiming that "gingervitis" is a disease and that people with red hair and pale skin have no souls. It was satire. The creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, were actually trying to mock the absurdity of racial prejudice by applying it to something as arbitrary as hair color.
They didn't expect people to take it literally.
But people did. Or rather, they used the satire as a flimsy excuse to be mean. A few years later, in 2008, a Canadian teenager reportedly started a "National Kick a Ginger Day" group on Facebook. It was directly inspired by the episode. It wasn't just a digital joke, though. It turned into a physical threat.
The group gained thousands of members overnight.
When a Joke Becomes a Police Matter
While November 20th is the date usually cited, the "holiday" isn't a celebration. It’s a date where schools often have to go on high alert.
In 2008, the Vancouver Island RCMP actually investigated the Facebook group for hate crimes. Several students reported being kicked, punched, and harassed at school because of the social media trend. It wasn’t just a one-off thing in Canada, either. Similar incidents cropped up in Massachusetts and the UK. Basically, kids were taking a cartoon's logic and using it to justify bullying in the hallways.
It’s kinda wild how a poorly timed joke can manifest in physical violence.
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The backlash was swift, but the damage was done. The "date" stuck in the collective memory of the internet. Even now, years later, you’ll see the keyword pop up in search trends every November as people try to figure out if it's a real thing they need to worry about or just a relic of early 2000s edge-lord culture.
The Science and Scarcity of Red Hair
Part of why redheads (or "gingers," a term that is either a slur or a badge of honor depending on who you ask) are targeted is simply because they are rare.
Red hair is caused by a mutation in the MC1R gene. It’s recessive. That means both parents have to carry the gene for a child to have that vibrant copper or fiery crimson hair. Only about 1% to 2% of the world's population has it.
- Scotland has the highest concentration (about 13%).
- Ireland follows closely (around 10%).
- In the United States, it's roughly 2%.
Because of this rarity, redheads have been the subject of myths for centuries. In Ancient Greece, some believed redheads would turn into vampires after they died. During the Spanish Inquisition, red hair was often seen as a sign of witchcraft or stolen hellfire. The South Park episode was just the modern version of a very old, very weird obsession with "the other."
Redhead Day vs. Kick a Ginger Day
Thankfully, the internet tried to fix what it broke.
In response to the negativity, "Kiss a Ginger Day" was created by Derek Forgie in 2009. He wanted to create a counter-movement that promoted positivity instead of violence. It’s celebrated on January 12th. It’s much more wholesome.
Then there’s Redhead Days (Roodharigendag), which is a massive festival in the Netherlands.
It started by accident in 2005 (ironically the same year as the South Park episode) when a painter named Bart Rouwenhorst advertised for 15 redheaded models. Over 150 people showed up. Today, it’s a global event where thousands of people gather in the city of Tilburg to celebrate their genetics. They take a massive group photo, attend workshops, and basically just hang out in a place where they aren't the minority for once.
The Legal Reality of Targeting Hair Color
You might wonder if "kicking a ginger" counts as a hate crime.
Legally, it’s a bit of a gray area, but it's getting darker. In the UK, there have been various pushes to include hair color under protected characteristics in hate crime legislation. While "redhead" isn't a race, the targeted harassment based on a physical characteristic often falls under assault or disorderly conduct laws.
Schools today have zero-tolerance policies for this kind of "internet holiday" behavior.
If a student tries to "celebrate" November 20th by attacking a classmate, they aren't just getting a detention. In many jurisdictions, that's an automatic suspension and a potential police report. The "it was just a joke from a TV show" defense hasn't worked for years.
Why We Still Talk About It
The reason you're likely asking when is National Kick a Ginger Day is because the internet doesn't let things die.
Memes have a half-life, but some are like nuclear waste. They just sit there, radiating in the background. Every year, a new crop of middle schoolers discovers the old Facebook groups or the South Park clips and thinks they've discovered comedy gold.
But there’s also a deeper psychological element. People like to belong to groups. Creating an "in-group" and an "out-group" is a basic human instinct, even if the "out-group" is defined by something as simple as a pigment mutation.
Practical Steps for Parents and Educators
If you’re a parent or a teacher, the best way to handle the "holiday" is through proactive conversation rather than just banning the mention of it.
- Check the calendar. Be aware that late November (specifically the 20th) is when these "trends" usually resurface on TikTok or Discord.
- Contextualize the satire. If your kids watch South Park, explain that the show is mocking the bully, not endorsing the bullying. Cartman is the villain.
- Encourage "Kiss a Ginger Day" instead. Or better yet, just "Don't Kick Anyone Day."
- Report social media content. Most platforms now have specific reporting tools for "coordinated harassment." If you see a "Kick a Ginger" event popping up, report it immediately.
Final Insights on the Legend
To be crystal clear: There is no official "National Kick a Ginger Day." It is a malicious internet hoax that resulted in real-world harm.
The real "redhead" holidays are:
- January 12th: Kiss a Ginger Day (Positivity-focused).
- November 5th: National Love Your Red Hair Day (Empowerment-focused).
- Late August/Early September: Redhead Days Festival in the Netherlands.
Don't let a 20-year-old cartoon episode dictate how you treat people. Red hair is a beautiful genetic quirk that should be celebrated, not targeted. If you see someone being harassed for their hair color, speak up. The internet only stops being toxic when we stop feeding the trolls.
Move toward celebrating diversity in all its forms, including the rare and vibrant MC1R mutation. Educate those around you on the history of these "holidays" to ensure they remain a thing of the past rather than a recurring problem.