12/25/2024
MERRY CHRISTMAS - How Pirates Celebrated Christmas
Pirates celebrated Christmas with food, drink, and fun, similar to how they celebrated other holidays. Some notable examples of pirate Christmas celebrations include:
Captain Edward England's 1720 Christmas
Captain England and his crew celebrated for three days, but the ship's supplies were depleted and they had to survive on wine, sugar, and salted beef for ten days.
Captain John Taylor and Richard Seager's Christmas
The two captains celebrated for three days, but the ship's supplies were depleted and the ship required immediate repairs.
Sam Bellamy's New Year's celebration
Bellamy took over an English colony and partied so much that many of the male population left with him when he sailed away.
Here are some other aspects of pirate Christmas:
Pirates enjoyed exotic spices, liquor, and better food than most sailors.
They danced traditional men's dances, and may have faked some couples dancing.
Pirates went ashore to celebrate.
Some pirates may have gone home for the holidays if they had family in the New World.