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International Talk Like a Pirate Day

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International Talk Like a Pirate Day is a parodic holiday created in 1995 by John Baur and Mark Summers of Albany, Oregon,[1] who proclaimed September 19 each year as the day when everyone in the world should talk like a pirate (that is, in English with a stereotypical West Country accent).[2] It has since been adopted by the Pastafarianism movement.[3]

International Talk Like a Pirate Day
TypeParodic
DateSeptember 19
Next timeSeptember 19, 2025 (2025-09-19)
FrequencyAnnual

History

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"Cap'n Slappy" and "Ol' Chumbucket", the founders of Talk Like a Pirate Day

The holiday resulted from a sports injury. During a racquetball game between Summers and Baur, one of them, in pain, said, "Aaarrr!" and the idea was born. The game took place on June 6, 1995, but out of respect for the observance of the Normandy landings, they chose Summers' ex-wife's birthday, as it would be easy for him to remember.[1][4]

At first an inside joke between two friends, the holiday gained exposure when Baur and Summers sent a letter about their invented holiday to the American syndicated humor columnist Dave Barry in 2002.[5] Barry liked the idea and promoted the day,[5] and later appeared in a cameo in their "Drunken Sailor" Sing Along A-Go-Go video.[6] Michigan filk musician Tom Smith wrote the original "Talk Like a Pirate Day" song in 2003.[7][8]

Talk Like a Pirate Day is celebrated with hidden easter egg features in many games and websites,[9] with Facebook introducing a pirate-translated version of its website on Talk Like a Pirate Day 2008[10] and publisher O'Reilly discounting books on the R programming language.[11] In September 2010, Reddit added a pirate theme to their website.[12]

Present Day Celebrations

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In September 2023, The Yorkshire Party, a regional political party in the UK, recognized International Talk Like a Pirate Day to highlight issues faced by coastal communities, including erosion and pollution.[13]

Every year, the city of Nijmegen in the Netherlands celebrates International Talk Like a Pirate Day to engage the community and highlight local cultural heritage.[14] In 2024 the event was moved to October 3rd due to local circumstances relating to the liberation festivities.[15]


See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Baker, Mark (September 19, 2003). "Avast! No lubbers today, ye scurvy bilge rats!". The Register-Guard. Retrieved September 25, 2014.
  2. ^ The Original Talk Like A Pirate Day Web site Archived November 20, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, by John Baur and Mark Summers.
  3. ^ "RD Magazine". July 18, 2011.
  4. ^ "September 19, 2007". The KBIM Pat & Brian Show. Orange, California. September 19, 2007. 40 minutes in. Beyond Investigation Magazine. KBIM Webcast. Archived from the original on March 7, 2021. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  5. ^ a b Barry, Dave (September 8, 2002). "Arrrrr! Talk like a pirate – or prepare to be boarded". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on December 22, 2018.
  6. ^ YouTube "Drunken Sailor: First Annual International Talk Like a Pirate Day Drunken Sailor Sing-Along a Go Go" September 11, 2011 (@ 3:25). Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  7. ^ Paul Majendie (September 18, 2007). "Tomorrow You'll Pay a Buccaneer for Corn?". Reuters. Retrieved September 21, 2007.
  8. ^ "Arrr Matie! Wednesday is Talk Like A Pirate Day". Ann Arbor News. Michigan Live. September 18, 2007. Retrieved September 21, 2007.
  9. ^ "12seconds wants everyone to talk like a pirate; more invites for all". VentureBeat. September 19, 2008. Retrieved September 20, 2012.
  10. ^ Siegler, MG (September 19, 2009). "Once Again, Facebook Owns 'Talk Like A Pirate Day' On The Web". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on January 6, 2012. Retrieved September 20, 2012.
  11. ^ "Avast, Ye Mateys! Hoist Yer Colors for Talk Like a Pirate Day!". O'Reilly Media. Retrieved September 19, 2013.
  12. ^ "Capture on Sept 19, 2010". September 19, 2010. Archived from the original on September 19, 2010. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  13. ^ @Yorkshire_Party (September 18, 2023). "#YorkshireParty is recognising #InternationalTalkLikeaPirateDay tomorrow - Tuesday 19th Sept - to highlight the problems faced by coastal towns" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  14. ^ "Nijmegen viert International Talk Like a Pirate Day met spektakel". October 3, 2024.
  15. ^ "Nijmegen viert 80 jaar vrijheid".

Further reading

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  • Russell, William Clark (1883). Sailors' Language. Dictionary of 19th-century sailors' language.
  • Choundas, George. 2007. The Pirate Primer: Mastering the Language of Swashbucklers and Rogues. Cincinnati: Writers Digest.
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