Neptune Day - The 'Crossing of the Line' Naval Tradition (March 14th, 2015)





For those of you that don't know, the crossing of the equator is a big deal in the maritime world. Neptune Day is an almost 400 year old naval tradition that celebrates the crossing of the equator. Every Semester At Sea voyage that crosses the equator celebrates this day to pay tribute to King Neptune, as we transition from "Pollwogs (those who have not crossed the equator)" to "Shellbacks". In order to make this transition you must follow this step-by-step guide:

1) Get woken up by crew members marching through the halls with drums & cymbals.
2) Meet Queen Minerva along with The Emperor of the Ocean King Neptune on the top deck.
3) Get fish guts (actually just green water) poured on your head and jump in the water.
4) Kiss the fish.
5) Kiss King Neptune's diamond ring.
6) Get knighted by the Royal Chamberlain
7) (optional) Have your head shaved by the Royal Barbers.

I would have taken more photos but it was a very water oriented day so my camera stayed away. You can look at more photos on the Neptune Day blog post if you're interested:  http://www.semesteratsea.org/2015/03/16/photo-gallery-neptune-day-2/