Avast, Me Matey?

We and the Zipps have a long-standing tradition of celebrating unique holidays. Really - we just love getting together and this puts purpose behind it. And the first rule of these celebrations is that the food must reflect the holiday. Thus on "Ocean Day" (Japan), we had seafood and sushi. "National Relaxation Day" coincided with Susan's birthday, so we just had regular food - but made sure we had put up the new hammock. We have also celebrated "Canada Day," "St. Jean-Baptiste Day," "Best Friends Day" and "Quatro de Mayo" (Cinqo de Mayo fell on a day we couldn't celebrate.)

These celebrations are dictated by an actual holiday website with dates and holidays that we strictly adhere to - we don't make any of these things up ourselves.

This weekend we are celebrating "National Talk Like a Pirate Day" and "Wife Appreciation Day." So we're having a Caribbean feast, there will be a pirate cake; and we have looked up Pirate terms to be sure we our dialect is correct:

AVAST: A nautical term meaning "What's up?" or "What are you doing?" Example: "Avast, me matey?"

PIECE OF EIGHT: Spanish silver coin, often cut into pieces to make change. Example: "We be searching the high seas for Long John Silver's lost Pieces of Eight."

WALK THE PLANK: A dire punishment in which one must walk off a wooden board on the side of a ship and fall into the ocean. Example: "The scurvy scoundrel stole me favorite pirate hat; I'm going to make him walk the plank!"

DOUBLOON: A gold coin minted by Spain or Spanish colonies, worth about seven weeks' pay for an average sailor. Example: "I'll be saving my doubloons to buy me own pirate ship. Arrr!"

SHIVER ME TIMBERS!: An expression of surprise or fear. Example: "Shiver me timbers! I just saw a ghost ship!"

SEA DOG: Experienced sailor. Example: "Blackbeard is one famous sea dog."

JOLLY ROGER: The pirate flag with its skull and crossbones. Example: "After looting the island, we left our Jolly Roger behind, flying high in the sky."

SCALLYWAG: Bad person. Example: "Although Sir Francis Drake was knighted by Queen Elizabeth, his fellow pirates thought he was quite a scallywag."

SEA ROVER: Pirate ship. Example: "Look! On the horizon, there be a dozen sea rovers heading this way!"

ME HEARTY: My friend. Example: "Ahoy, me hearty, will ye be helping me look for buried treasure?"

For "Wife Appreciation Day," the men are on their own. They say that every day is wife appreciation day, but there's no way they're getting away with that. We shall see ...

Others coming up: National Good Neighbor Day (also Confucius' birthday), All Soul's Day, Sweetest Day, Fiji Independence Day, World Animal Day, and Make a Difference Day.

Want to celebrate with us? Arrrr, me hearty!