we crossed the equator on february 14. before doing so, tradition requires that ships stop and pay homage to neptune, the god of the sea. we didn’t stop at the time, but today was set aside as neptune day. early in the morning neptune’s court (ship board staff members) parade through the halls drumming, banging on doors, and generally making a whole lot of noise to wake everyone. there is a ceremony at the pool deck where, captain kostantinos, the staff captain (captain jernemy is playing neptune) asks neptune permission to cross into the southern hemisphere. ultimately, the pollywogs, those who have never crossed the equator on a ship, have to prove they are worthy. this is all narrated by dean mike. after having some smelly, milky foreign substance poured over your head, on one side of the pool, you jump in the pool, get out on the other side, kiss a big dead raw fish, and bow to neptune as he christens and grants you permission to cross the equator. there’s no classes all day, and a bbq (a welcome menu change) in the afternoon. neptune is green, head to toe, and dressed in their greek god finery. while i was standing back watching all this, i saw some of captain jeremy’s crew position other members of their crew on the lower level of the seventh deck for a photo op. next thing i know someone pours a huge bucket of green liquid on them from the upper level of the seventh deck – a rite of passage for them too apparently. unfortunately they were in their white uniforms and unsuspecting, while most of the pollywogs submit voluntarily and are appropriately dressed.
another rite of passage includes shaving one’s head, some opt for a mohawk. many students acquired mohawks the day we crossed the equator, more later, and even more today. the hair from the shaved heads is being donated to locks of love, the organization that makes wigs for cancer patients. it’s being said that 32 women on our voyage shaved their heads. there was a photo op of all, male and female, who shaved their heads, taken from the deck above them. unfortunately, i was in line for bbq (did i mention that that was a welcome menu change?), at that time. the photos here are of the women. neptune day was a nice break in the routine, although recently established. we’ve all experienced so much in such a small amount of time, it’s nice to have a light weight day, where the most serious thing you have to decide is whether to shave your head or have some foul substance, representing fish guts, poured over your head.
lindsay (center), a library work study student, sporting her new do.if i get sucked up by the sea, and don’t make it home, you’ll know it was because i didn’t pay homage to neptune.
