You can walk the plank—but can you talk the talk? International Talk Like a Pirate Day, falling annually on Sept. 19, is one of the most spirited internet-based holidays out there, where you can really let the Captain Morgan, parrot, and peg leg jokes fly. One might wonder what the thought process was behind the holiday—and the truth is, the people who created it are just as fun and wacky as the holiday itself.
Creators John Baur and Mark Summers were playing racquetball one day in 1995, and their groans and cheers during the game quickly turned into pirate slang. After many jokes, the idea for International Talk Like a Pirate Day was born. They pitched their idea to Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Dave Barry, who eventually featured it in one of his pieces, and the rest is history.
Everyone knows that a pirate is only as good as his vernacul-aarrrrrrr, which means that to get fully in character, you need to have the lingo down so well that Red Beard and Captain Jack Sparrow wouldn’t want to see your Jolly Roger flag in the distance. For any scallywag who needs to brush up a bit, John and Mark’s pirate translator offers everything from "ahoy" to "thar she blows!"
Localize: local events, nearby pirate ship playgrounds or themed attractions, or local pirate history.
To get in the spirit of International Talk Like a Pirate Day, you'll need a hat. Any landlubber can make one of these with basic household supplies. The steps shown in this tutorial use a paper grocery bag to make a child-sized hat. If ye be seekin' a hat for a larger pirate, use a newspaper with the same steps provided.
What You'll Need:
Paper
Grocery bag (child hat) or newspaper (adult hat)
Scissors
Marker
Step 1:
Cut open the bag so that you are left with a large front panel.
Step 2:
Carefully remove the handles.
Step 3:
Fold the panel in half along the width of the paper.
Step 4:
Fold the two corners to the center. Because your started with a rectanglular panel, the folded corners should leave you with some excess space at the bottom.
Step 5:
Fold the bottom excess up and over the corners as shown.
Step 6:
Repeat Step 5 for the reverse side of the hat.
Step 7:
Use your marker or other embellishments to decorate the face of your pirate hat. Start with skull and cross bone and see what else you can add.
Step 8:
Put on your pirate hat and say "ARRRGH!"
Fun Tip: Use these steps to make pirate hats of all different colors and sizes for International Talk Like a Pirate Day or any other pirate-themed events.
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