International Talk Like a Pirate Day is a day for everyone to talk like a pirate, and it was thought up by John Baur and Mark Summers of Albany, Oregon. They were playing racquetball on June 6, 1995, when they began to talk like pirates. They decided there should be a holiday dedicated to pirate talk, and since they didn't want the day to coincide with D-Day, Mark came up with September 19 as its date, which was his ex-wife's birthday. It was not until 2002 that the day began to be celebrated on a larger scale, as Dave Barry wrote a column that brought the attention of the holiday beyond the purview of John and Mark's friends.

How to Observe

The day is celebrated by talking like a pirate. Before you start, you may want to find out your pirate name. "Aarrr!!" is probably the most famous pirate word or phrase, but there are many others. Not all pirates say the exact same phrases. For example, Dutch pirates speak differently than German pirates. If you don't know how to say a phrase like a pirate would, try using a pirate translator. If you really want to get into the spirit of the day you could dress like a pirate. You could also spend the day reading or watching films about pirates. Read Treasure Island. Watch one of the Pirates of the Caribbean films, or Hook. Robert Newton is known for popularizing pirate speech, and you could watch some of his films: Treasure Island, Long John Silver, and Blackbeard the Pirate. In the past, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts has given away doughnuts on International Talk Like a Pirate day, but as of 2017 they no longer do. Additionally, Long John Silver's has participated in the day, and in 2017 is giving away fried twinkies. Finally, you can change your Facebook language to Pirate.

Sponsor

Something Wrong or Missing?

Observation Notifications

This event does not currently have a sponsor. If you'd like to increase visibility for this event while gaining exposure for yourself or your brand, you can learn more here We would love to hear from you! Please contact us using this form Would you like to be notified before the next observation? Sign up here to be told when notifications are available!