What is it called when you cross the equator in the Navy?
The shellback is simple enough: A sailor on official duty “crosses the line” of the equator. A golden shellback is more impressive; it means they’ve crossed the International Date Line. Even rarer, crossing at the Prime Meridian grants you access into the Order of the Emerald Shellback.
What is equator crossing certificate?
According to old tradition, all those crossing the equator for the first time, must be baptized and thus made an able-bodied seaman. After the ceremony, the newly baptized will be awarded a Crossing the Line Certificate stating his og her name and the date of the “baptismal ceremony”.
What is the ceremony for crossing the International Date Line?
The equatorial ceremony is what is generally referred to as “crossing the line.” The more experienced sailors on board — known as “shellbacks” — dress up as members of King Neptune’s Court to induct their peers into the “Solemn Mysteries of the Ancient Orders of the Deep.” Members of the court include King Neptunus Rex …
What happens in equator crossing ceremony?
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 during a Shellback ceremony?
SHELLBACKS – A PROUD NAVAL HISTORY The ceremony observes a mariner’s transformation from slimy Pollywog, a seaman who hasn’t crossed the equator, to trusty Shellback, also called a Son or Daughter of Neptune. It was a way for sailors to be tested for their seaworthiness.
What happens in equator line?
The Equator divides the Earth into northern and southern hemispheres, with both experiencing different amounts of daylight at different times. This, weather, climate and the seasons we experience are a result of the Earth’s tilt on its axis and its orbit around the sun.
In which country equator passes?
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 is the US Navy line crossing ceremony?
The shellback initiation takes place anytime a U.S. Navy ship crosses the equator. No one is really sure when or how the US Navy Line Crossing Ceremony, originated. The some scholars believe that ritual dates back at least 400 years or more in Western seafaring.
What is an equator-crossing ceremony?
Equator-crossing ceremonies, typically featuring King Neptune, are common in the Navy and are also sometimes carried out for passengers’ entertainment on civilian ocean liners and cruise ships. They are also performed in the merchant navy and aboard sail training ships.
Can Sailors be attacked during the line-crossing ceremony?
Most modern navies have instituted regulations that prohibit physical attacks on sailors undergoing the line-crossing ceremony. In 1995, a notorious line-crossing ceremony took place on the Royal Australian Navy submarine HMAS Onslow.
What is it called when you cross the equator while sailing?
The U.S. Navy has well-established line-crossing rituals. Sailors who have already crossed the Equator are nicknamed Shellbacks, Trusty Shellbacks, Honorable Shellbacks, or Sons of Neptune.