Pirate Theme Party

A pirate is never complete without a proper sword, and swords make for a great pirate birthday party idea. Pirates used several types of swords and knives, but they were perhaps best known for carrying the cutlass. These swords were about three feet long and weighed about three pounds. They were preferred because they were short and broad, and this made for better hand to hand combat performance in the close quarters of a ship. The broadsword was not used as much as the cutlass. It was much longer and much deadlier. Sailors did not like them because they were not as effective as a cutlass in melee combat. This type of weapon was used to give Blackbeard his death blow, decapitating his head entirely. The smallsword was a light weight short sword. It really was not used in pirate fights, but worn by gentlemen of the day. The only time it was used in actual fighting was during dueling. It was easily breakable and not favored by pirates. The dagger was a good backup weapon for a pirate. Short and easily concealed, it made for the perfect weapon in a quick strike. The rapier was a Spanish sword and it was not built for pirate fighting. It could really only be used for thrusting, but that Spaniards were determined to use it anyway. Using any of these swords make for a great pirate birthday party idea.

Why not dig into a little history to get your next pirate birthday party idea.Long before there were any pirates, there were the Phoenicians. These were people who lived on a series of islands that spread out over an area that was thousands of miles long. They were the first known peoples to put into practice the art of ocean navigation. They used ingeniously designed vessels and were able to travel great distances. The most remarkable aspect about this civilization was that it existed about four thousand years ago! It is remarkable that a group of people so ancient could negotiate such a large swath of the Pacific Ocean! The technology used at that time was nothing like what we have available to us today. I am sure that any Phoenician would love to be able to use a sextant, mariners compass or a navigational chart. Today we use gyroscopic compasses, modern radar, the global positioning system, and loran. Loran, or Long Range Navigation, was developed around the period of World War II, and uses radio pulses between two separate stations to determine the position of any given ship. Make sure you have all the tools you need for your next pirate birthday party by checking out our ebook!

Here is a little more scientific facts concerning ocean currents while you contemplate a pirate birthday party idea. Ocean currents exist in every ocean in the world, and play a huge role in determining the climate of any given area. Currents are not just local phenomenon, in fact, there are five giant current systems, known as gyres, that circle all the major oceans of the world. If you live next to a cold current the climate in your area will be colder than the mean average. The opposite is true for warm currents. The biology that these currents support is also largely based on whether a current is warm or cold. When people think of the tropics, or barrier reefs, they think of large schools of colorful and exotic fish, and all kinds of coral and plant life. The water is crystal clear and light blue (a great place for a pirate birthday party idea). While it is true that there is a lot of life around the reefs, if you venture further out and away from land, the ocean becomes a virtual desert of water! The clear water is a sign that there is not a lot of natural life in the warm water. In colder areas, the water is a dark blue or green. That is a sign of huge amounts of upwelling and plankton, which serve as the bottom tray of the food chain. In these areas, the sea is full of life! There is a host of biological species including plankton, bioluminescence, jelly fish, sea otters, whales, sharks, bat rays, tuna, mackerel, anchovy, squid, octopus, sea lions, salmon, dolphin, kelp, sea stars and the like. The most abundant species (other than plankton) is what is known as a brittle star. These are remarkable creatures and glow if disturbed. Tune in again to pirate birthday party idea to learn how currents were discovered. You’ll be surprised to know who discovered them!

Racking your brain as you try to come up with a pirate birthday party idea? In this segment, I’ll continue to examine what life was like for the average pirate. Pirates were prone to all kinds of disease and danger. Fresh food was almost non-existent during the Golden Age of piracy because no suitable methods had been developed to chill storage spaces. A lack of vitamin C will eventually lead to scurvy and the loss of teeth. That must have been difficult for the average pirate considering that much of their diet consisted of dried and salted meat. That doesn’t sound very appealing to me. If the pirates were lucky enough to find a well stocked port, they might be able to catch up on their fruit and vegetable intake, but most of them chose to consume liquor instead. The liquor wasn’t just a good pirate birthday party idea. It just so happens that the area the pirates frequented was also the largest sugar producing land in the world. Much of the sugar was used to make rum. Sugar was cheap, and rum was easy to make. Perhaps it gave them a false sense of bravery …… something they’d need when taking on the British fleet!

“Such a day, rum all out. Our company somewhat sober. A damned confusion amongst us! Rogues a plotting. Great talk of separation so I looked sharp for a prize. Such a day found one with a great deal of liquor on board, so kept the company hot, damned hot. Then all things went well again.” An entry from Black Beard’s personal diary found on his ship, the Adventure. Looking to host a great pirate birthday party idea and need some inspiration? Look no further than the most notorious pirate of them all (non-fictional character that is). Black Beard! Black Beard was such an imposing figure that he stands in stark contrast with America’s other favorite pirate, Jack Sparrow. Black Beard was an enormous figure, and many were reputed to have surrendered immediately once they saw his terrifying face. He wore a beard that hid much of his face, and it was said that he weaved gun powder into his hair and then lit it just before a battle! Perhaps you don’t have a beard long enough to weave in gun powder, and the people at www.pirate-theme-party.com certainly don’t recommend this pirate birthday party idea (especially if you decide to light your hair on fire)! Either way, you have to admit that Black Beard must have looked truly fearsome. I certainly would not want to face with someone whose face was on fire! Some have speculated that Black Beard did this to make sure he always had a smoldering wick to set off his cannons, while others claim that it was simply a psychological ploy. If the flaming head were not enough, Black Beard also wore two swords; one on each side, but these cutlasses were not enough for Black Beard. Like a modern day commando, Black Beard also wore a number of holsters where he kept numerous of pistols. Play swords and pistols are cheap and easy to find. Perhaps a fake beard will also make a great pirate party idea. When you don your gear, don’t forget the menace who had made these props so famous!

With all the publicity following the release of Disney’s newest installment of Pirates of the Caribbean, people have become more and more interested in the real history behind pirates. Most people are interested in the Golden Age of piracy that spanned the 15th through the 17th centuries. Why shouldn’t they be? There is something very appealing about that era, and the public is enthralled with notorious characters like Black Beard, Captain Hook, and Jack Sparrow. Their swashbuckling demeanor and rebellious attitudes appeal to all of us. It’s always fun to read stories about these men, or look up a pirate birthday party idea, but the real truth is that piracy is not joke. At Pirate Theme Party, we aim to create and provide ideas for all those pirate lovers, but we also want to give some historical background and perspective on the subject. From time to time, we will research and write a short report on piracy and not just piracy during the Golden Age. As long as there have been ships on the water, pirates have raided the ocean. That is true today as well, where piracy still plagues many spots around the world. Within the last few years, the crime of piracy has exploded. These pirates do not carry around swords and look for Davey’s locker. These modern day pirates carry AK-47’s and rocket propelled grenades! They will go after anything from a private vessel, cargo ship, or even a cruise ship. Just a couple of years ago, a cruise ship narrowly evaded capture from pirates of the coast of Somalia. In fact, Somalia is well known to be a danger to cruise and cargo ships. Other areas include Iraq, South America, Western Africa, Bangladesh, Indonesia, the South China Sea, and the Malaccan Straits. In particular, the Malaccan Straits are an area that is very susceptible to piracy. The Straits are a very narrow passage that connects the Pacific and Indian Ocean’s, and it also is the main access point for central Asia. Because of this, The Malaccan Straits are the expressway for about 1/3 of the world’s goods, and the area makes an attractive target for thieves. As you can see, piracy is a very real menace. At Pirate Theme Party, we want you to enjoy your experience and perhaps gain a good pirate birthday party idea, but we also hope you keep in mind what piracy is really about! Enjoy and Arrggghhh!