International Talk Like a Pirate Day Countdown

International Talk Like a Pirate Day on September 19 is a lighthearted parodic holiday when people around the world pepper their speech with 'Ahoy!', 'Arrr!' and 'Shiver me timbers!' for a day of shared silliness.

History

International Talk Like a Pirate Day began as a private joke between two friends. On June 6, 1995, John Baur and Mark Summers of Albany, Oregon, were playing racquetball when, as the story goes, one of them reacted to a twinge of pain with a hearty 'Arrr!' — and the pair spent the rest of the game trading pirate slang. They decided the world needed a day for talking like a pirate, and picked September 19 simply because it was a date Summers could easily remember: his former wife's birthday. For seven years the observance remained a small in-joke celebrated by the two friends, who adopted the pirate names Ol' Chumbucket and Cap'n Slappy. Everything changed in 2002, when the pair wrote to the syndicated humor columnist Dave Barry. Barry devoted a column to the idea, and the day promptly went international, spreading through newspapers, radio and the young internet. The 'pirate voice' people imitate owes much to the actor Robert Newton, whose rolling West Country accent as Long John Silver in the 1950 film Treasure Island fixed 'arrr' in the popular imagination; fans of the day have affectionately dubbed Newton its patron saint. The holiday has since become a fixture of internet culture. Facebook added an 'English (Pirate)' language setting in 2008, other games and websites offer pirate-speak modes, and libraries, schools, aquariums and bakeries stage pirate-themed events each September 19. Some businesses hand out treats to customers who talk like a pirate, and charities in several countries have adopted the day for playful fundraising, proving that a joke between two friends can circle the globe.

Meaning

Talk Like a Pirate Day stands for pure, unprofitable fun. Its founders have long insisted the day has no agenda beyond silliness: it asks nothing of participants but a willingness to say 'Ahoy, matey!' with a straight face. In an age of carefully managed calendars, that simplicity is the point — the holiday is free, needs no gifts or preparation, and works equally well in an office, a classroom or a group chat. The day also celebrates the romance of the storybook pirate — the world of Treasure Island and Peter Pan rather than history's rougher realities — and the way a shared bit of make-believe can break the ice between strangers. As one of the first holidays to spread primarily through the internet, it shows how quickly playfulness travels, and every September 19 it gives millions permission to be, briefly and gloriously, ridiculous together.