What do you do when you cross the equator?
Baptism on the line, also called equatorial baptism, is an alternative initiation ritual sometimes performed as a ship crosses the Equator, involving water baptism of passengers or crew who have never crossed the Equator before. The ceremony is sometimes explained as being an initiation into the court of King Neptune.
What happens when sailors cross the equator?
THE SHELLBACK CEREMONY When a ship crosses the equator or “crossing the line”, King Neptune comes aboard to exercise authority over his domain and to judge charges brought against Pollywogs that they are only posing as Sailors and haven’t paid proper homage to the god of the sea.
What is Equator crossing ceremony?
Equator crossing or the line crossing ceremony is a centuries-old ritual to inaugurate seafarers who have never crossed the Equator, the imaginary line on the Earth’s surface. Began with the Navy over 400 years ago, the tradition is aimed to let Equator-crossing virgins to prove they are worthy to make the transition.
What is it called when the Navy crosses the equator?
Behind the pomp and grandeur of the event is a lot of history. The seamen who have already crossed the equator are referred to as Shellbacks (or, Sons Of Neptune) and those who haven’t are called Pollywogs. The Pollywogs are put through some physical tests to be initiated into the “ancient mysteries of the deep”!
What countries are on the Equator?
The Equator passes through 13 countries: Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Sao Tome & Principe, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Somalia, Maldives, Indonesia and Kiribati. At least half of these countries rank among the poorest in the world.
What do you mean by term equator?
An equator is an imaginary line around the middle of a planet or other celestial body. It is halfway between the North Pole and the South Pole, at 0 degrees latitude. An equator divides the planet into a Northern Hemisphere and a Southern Hemisphere. The Earth is widest at its Equator.
What countries are on the equator?
What’s a Golden Shellback?
Another rare status is the Golden Shellback, a person who has crossed the Equator at the 180th meridian (International Date Line). The rarest Shellback status is that of the Emerald Shellback (USA), or Royal Diamond Shellback (Commonwealth), which is received after crossing the Equator at the prime meridian.
Which country has no night time?
Norway
Norway is known as the land of midnight sun. Due to Norway’s high altitude, there are seasonal variations in daylight because of the period of refracted sunlight is long. In this country, for about a period of 76 days from late May to late July, the sun never sets for about 20 hours.
Which country is closest to the equator?
The countries through which the equator runs are:
- São Tomé and Principe.
- Gabon.
- Republic of the Congo.
- The Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- Uganda.
- Kenya.
- Somalia.
- Maldives.
Where does the equator pass through in Kenya?
The Equator passes through Nanyuki Kenya. There are seven African countries that are on both sides of the Equator. The Equator passes about 4 miles south of the town Nanyuki in Laikipia County, Kenya. An equator is an imaginary line around the. middle earth, seven African countries.
Who was the commanding officer during the crossing of the equator?
Maine ‘s commanding officer greets King Neptune and Royal Party at beginning of equator crossing ceremonies. Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation, Washington, DC; collection of Rear Admiral Harold M. Bemis; U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command.
Can a cruise line host a line crossing ceremony?
But line-crossing has expanded to other corners of seafaring culture, including the unlikely place of scientific research cruises. Even commercial cruise lines have been known to host some parts of the ritual. Though ceremonies differ, there’s a general form and a common cast of characters.
Why do virgins have to cross the equator?
They are being summoned into Neptune’s Court for crimes they’ve committed against the god. The fun has just begun, and it’s going to continue for another 24 hours. This is the beginning of a line-crossing ceremony, a centuries-old ritual to inaugurate Equator-crossing virgins.