A Day for Pirate Talk
Have you ever said “Ahoy” to a friend? On September 19, people can have fun with words on International Talk Like a Pirate Day.
The day began in 1995. Two friends, John Baur and Mark Summers, were playing a game. They began to talk like pirates for fun.
They picked September 19 as a day to do it again. Years later, a writer named Dave Barry told more people about their idea. The playful day spread.
People may say “Ahoy” as a way to say hello. They might call a friend “matey.” These are pretend pirate words, like the ones heard in stories and movies.
Real pirates were people who robbed ships. They lived in many places and spoke in many ways. The words people use on this day are for play, not a lesson in how all pirates spoke.
Talk Like a Pirate Day is not a formal United Nations day. It is an informal day that people choose to celebrate for fun. No one has to join in.
You can make a paper ship and set it on a blue sheet of paper. Cut out cards shaped like speech bubbles, too. Leave them blank or write a playful greeting on each one.
- spread:
- Reached more people or places.
- robbed:
- Took things from people by force or threat.
- formal:
- Official or following set rules.
- greeting:
- Words used to say hello.
- path:
- A way to walk from one place to another.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1When is International Talk Like a Pirate Day?
- 2Who started the day?
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About this explanatory article passage for Lower Elementary
“A Day for Pirate Talk” is a explanatory article reading passage about Talk Like a Pirate Day, written for Lower Elementary. It takes about 2 minutes to read (250 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.