International Talk Like a Pirate Day has been held every September 19th since 1995. That makes 27 celebrations of swashbuckling, hearties, and Arrrr lingo. Two friends, who refer to themselves as Ol'Chumbucket and Cap'n Slappy, started this holiday believe it or not because of a sports injury.
While the two friends were playing a game of racquetball one got hurt and loudly bellowed, "Arrrr!" reminding his friend of a pirate. The idea started there and grew after writing a letter about their made-up holiday between friends to a syndicated humor columnist. The columnists liked the idea so much that he promoted it as well and the holiday is now celebrated internationally.
While we often romanticize pirates thanks to pirates like Captian Jack Sparrow and Long John Silver, throughout history and today, pirates have often been violent and ruthless. Still, it doesn't stop us from enjoying the fun speech patterns and over-the-top outfits associated with pirates.
Maybe you can brush up on your pirate lingo through a course on Mango, or emerge yourself in pirate culture through one of these books. Either way, I know I'll be throwing in some hearties and more on September 19th. Savvy?
Check out these YA books with a pirate theme.
