A Historical Look at Life at Sea When the Year Turned Cold
When we imagine pirates, we often picture tropical waters, sweltering days, and humid nights. But the Golden Age of Piracy (roughly 1650–1730) stretched across every season, and winter brought its own challenges — colder seas, harsher storms, fewer trading ships, and a sudden scarcity of fresh food. But winter also brought familiar traditions, especially for sailors who had grown up with cultural and religious practices back home.
So what did pirates celebrate in the winter months? They were, after all, former merchants, fishermen, privateers, soldiers, indentured servants, and sailors — meaning they brought with them many traditions of England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Scandinavian countries, West African regions, and the Caribbean islands.
While pirates did not form a unified culture with a standardized “pirate holiday,” they carried their own traditions aboard ship, sometimes blending them into something uniquely maritime. Below is a historically grounded look at the winter holidays they may have observed — or at least acknowledged — while at sea.
Christmas (Feast of the Nativity / Christmastide)
Most historically documented winter holiday observed by sailors, including pirates.
In the 1600s–1700s, Christianity was deeply embedded in European and colonial life. Nearly every pirate ship had men who grew up celebrating Christmas, whether Protestant or Catholic. Records of naval and merchant ships show that sailors often marked Christmas in some fashion, even if they lacked the means for a full feast. Pirates likely followed similar patterns.
What Christmas looked like at sea:
Extra rations when available — salted beef, ship’s biscuit, or rum mixed with citrus if they were lucky.
Temporary ceasefires or truces on naval and merchant ships (though pirates weren’t known to adhere to these unless it suited them).
Hymns or simple songs, as singing was a major part of sailor life.
Small decorations, if they were near shore and could collect greenery. Some ships hung sprigs of holly or evergreen.
No work if possible, though storms often ignored the holiday.
Puritan-influenced English sailors sometimes scorned traditional Christmas festivities, but they were the minority among pirate crews, which were usually ethnically and culturally mixed.
Feast of St. Nicholas (December 6)
This holiday was widely celebrated in Dutch, German, and Scandinavian communities. Many sailors of the era came from these regions, especially in the early piracy period.
St. Nicholas was the patron saint of sailors, merchants, and children — making him a meaningful figure aboard ships. While we have no direct pirate-specific accounts, we know that:
Dutch and German sailors frequently held small observances of St. Nicholas Day.
Sailors often invoked St. Nicholas during storms; he was their protector at sea.
In ports with Dutch settlements (like Curaçao or New Amsterdam), winter celebrations often included St. Nicholas traditions.
It is entirely plausible that pirate crews with Dutch or German members recognized this day in some way, particularly when in port.
New Year’s Day (January 1)
New Year’s Day was almost universally acknowledged across European cultures during the Golden Age of Piracy. Even crews unconcerned with religious holidays took note of the year’s turning.
Typical New Year traditions aboard ships:
A double ration of rum, recorded frequently on both naval and merchant vessels.
A day of rest, weather permitting.
Marking the ship’s log, an important ritual even for pirates.
Offering wishes for “a lucky year,” since sailors were highly superstitious.
Pirate crews, being democratic and ritual-oriented, likely observed this day with a mix of practicality and revelry.
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Epiphany / Twelfth Night (January 6)
Epiphany was a major winter celebration in Catholic countries such as Spain, Portugal, France, and many Caribbean colonies. Because many pirates came from or operated around these cultures, they were exposed to Epiphany traditions.
Features of coastal Epiphany celebrations:
Bonfires and feasts in port towns
Special cakes or bread (Rosca de Reyes or Galette des Rois)
Religious processions
At sea, a full celebration wasn’t possible, but Catholic sailors may have marked the day quietly or with shared rations.
Hogmanay (Scottish New Year)
Scottish sailors were numerous during the Golden Age, and many ended up on pirate ships after deserting the Royal Navy or merchant vessels. Hogmanay — Scotland’s unique New Year celebration — was marked with singing, toasts, and gift-giving.
While a full Hogmanay feast was impossible at sea, Scottish pirates may have upheld traditions like:
Toasting with whatever drink was available
Singing familiar Scots songs
“First footing,” symbolically stepping onto the deck as the first person of the year (good luck)
African and Afro-Caribbean Seasonal Festivals
Many pirate crews included freed Africans, escaped enslaved sailors, and maroons recruited in the Caribbean. Their cultural traditions were often suppressed by European authorities, leaving little written documentation — but we know:
West African winter festivals centering around harvest, ancestors, and renewal were part of many cultures.
On some Caribbean islands, enslaved or free African communities blended African traditions with Catholic feast days.
Music, drumming, and shared meals were central to communal celebrations.
It’s very possible that African crew members brought aspects of their winter traditions aboard ship, especially in pirate crews known for being more egalitarian than naval ships.
Winter Solstice (Yule)
Northern European sailors — particularly from Scandinavia and parts of Germany — carried older solstice traditions, though by the 1600s–1700s most had merged with Christmas.
Still, sailors were deeply connected to:
Daylight patterns
Weather changes
Superstitions about the longest night of the year
Solstice observance at sea likely took the form of simply noting the turning of the season, since winter sailing was notoriously dangerous.
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What Did Pirates Actually Do During Winter?
While holiday celebrations varied widely, most pirates spent winter months:
In port, repairing ships and restocking supplies.
Avoiding dangerous northern waters, which were brutal in winter.
Sailing the Caribbean, where winter meant dry season and calmer weather.
This makes December–January one of the least deadly times for pirates in the Caribbean — and one of the most socially lively. If pirates celebrated anything, it was usually done on shore, where rum, food, music, and companionship were available.
Myth vs. Reality: Pirates Were Not Big on Formal Holidays
Pirates were famously practical. Shipboard life left little time for ritual unless:
Weather was calm
They were fully supplied
Morale needed boosting
They were more likely to celebrate:
A successful capture
A safe return to port
A good storm survived
A democratic vote won or a tyranny overthrown
Yet, the shared cultural memories of Christmas, New Year’s, or Epiphany traveled with them — shaping small but meaningful winter observances.
A Holiday Season Defined by Survival, Ritual, and Camaraderie
If we could step aboard a pirate ship in December, we wouldn’t find decorated masts or festive banquets. But we would see something very human:
Men sharing stories of past holidays at home
Small portions of rum passed around in camaraderie
Songs rising into the cold night air
Quiet prayers or private moments of reflection
A rare pause in the relentless demands of life at sea
History shows us that pirates were not creatures outside of society — they were men who carried the traditions, joys, and longings of many cultures. Winter holidays, however humble, were a thread connecting them back to a world they had left behind, and perhaps hoped to see again.