7 Facts About Pirates and How They're Connected to Cerritos

What started as a funny idea between friends has grown into an international phenomenon. Celebrated all over the world, International Talk Like A Pirate Day shows no sign of sailing off into the sunset.

Use the following list of funny facts to learn more about pirates and how Cerritos has an uncanny relation to such swashbucklers. 

1. International Talk Like a Pirate Day has its own official website that offers a free pirate-party kit and a world-wide map of International Talk Like A Pirate Day parties.
2. Steven Speilberg's film Hook was named after Captain Hook, the pirate villian from the Peter Pan fairytale. In the movie, the role of Rufio was played by Dante Basco, a well-known Filipino-American actor who was raised in Cerritos. 
3. Henry Morgan, the figurehead of The Captain Morgan Rum Company, was an actual person. Considered a legal pirate, Captain Morgan defended British interests while sailing the seas and eventually was knighted for his awesome exploits.
4. The Cap'n Crunch character first appeared in 1963 as the face of the popular breakfast cereal. The Cap'n was originally featured with an arch nemesis, the Barefoot Pirate Jean LaFoote. This comical character's name is likely on the parody of the real-life pirate, Jean Laffite.
5. Though the name may evoke imagery of pirate-dressed staff,  restaurant-bar in Cerritos is less of a novelty resturant and more like a hidden gem. The nautically named establishment has been in business for more than 40 years and is known as Cerritos' only sports bar. 
6. In 2008, Disneyland Parks stopped featuring their Jack Sparrow character actors. Rumors emerged that the company decided to fire these men because park guests were often lewd and harrassing towards the Jack Sparrow look-alikes. According to the Los Angeles Times, Disneyland spokesperson Suzi Brown vehemently denounced such allegations.
7. The Heritage Park island is designed to mimic American towns from the mid-17th century. Though this playground meant to pay homage to our country's history, the island's large ship-shaped play area makes the park the perfect place for pirate-themed parties.

According to the official website for the holiday, here are a few phrases to get your pirate day started on the right foot:

• Ahoy! - "Hello!"
• Avast! - Stop and give attention. It can be used in a sense of surprise, "Whoa! Get a load of that!" which today makes it more of a"Check it out" or "No way!" or "Get off!"
• Aye! - "Why yes, I agree most heartily with everything you just said or did."
• Aye aye! - "I'll get right on that sir, as soon as my break is over."
• Arrr!- This one is often confused with arrrgh, which is of course the sound you make when you sit on a belaying pin. "Arrr!" can mean, variously, "yes," "I agree," "I'm happy," "I'm enjoying this beer," "My team is going to win it all," "I saw that football game on television, it sucked!" and "That was a clever remark you just made." And those are just a few of the many possibilities of Arrr!

Happy International Talk Like A Pirate Day!

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