Pirates Week in Paradise

When the prospect of going to Hong Kong for a few months for work was first suggested to me, my first, panicked response to the Partner was "But...that means I'll miss Pirates Week..."

While he didn't seem to think this was a valid reason to turn down the secondment, I don't think he fully appreciates the amazingness that is Pirates Week in the Cayman Islands (then again, maybe he does but didn't know how to explain it to our international colleagues).

Thanks to a few cheeky sacrifices to the Cracken and some minor visa processing delays, I was lucky enough to catch the first half of Pirates Week 2016 and firmly believe it is one of the most hilarious and amazing "cultural" festivals on the planet. Here's why....


It does what it says on the tin

Everyone keeps asking me, "what's this pirates week you're talking about" and I never know how to answer because Pirates Week basically does what it says. People dress up, act and party like pirates for a week. But those who have not lived it simply can't understand how a place can possibly have an entire week-long festival dedicated to piracy. Well my friends, welcome to the Cayman Islands. And it's not just a week - it's 10 whole days!

The week starts with a party on Thursday night, followed by fireworks and a street party on Friday night. The pirates land in the harbour on Saturday followed by a big parade and night party, then there's a swim of some sort and kids activities on Sunday. Then the next weekend there are more parties, boat races in the harbour, an illuminated night parade and a puppy pirate parade of all things! Now, I have a mortal fear of dogs but even I think a pooch in an eye patch is kind of cute. There are so many events, any serious Caymanian really needs more than one pirate costume.

Everyone loves a bad boy

Redcoats in handcuffs in the parade

So, on the Saturday of the first week, the pirates come ashore. This is when Pirates Week really gets going.

Normally, the pirates land on the Jolly Roger fight the redcoats and kidnap the Governor (and yes, in response to one query I received, the Governor does know it's coming). However this year, because the theme was "romance", they added a romantic twist and instead of kidnapping the Governor, her daughter ran off with the Pirates.Why oh why did my parents not become Governor(s) of a Caribbean island? So many missed dating opportunities....

Now I ask you, when since Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom took off after the Black Pearl has anyone celebrated the "bad guys" winning? Not only do the Pirates in George Town defeat the Redcoats and get the girl, the Redcoats then get taken down the main street in shackles as part of the subsequent parade.

They don't even pretend it has historical significance

Highly recommended if your housemate gets a bit too much

While there is definitely a history of piracy in and around the Cayman Islands, there is nothing remotely historical about this festival, no matter how many "local history days" they try to promote during the week. While pirates did frequent the Islands between the 1650s and 1730s (including the famous Blackbeard) due to the lack of formal government, abundance of turtles for food and coves for hiding ships and treasure, this ended at least two hundred years before Pirates Week was launched.

The Pirates Week Festival was actually started in 1977 as a brazen and shameless way to generate tourism before the high season kicks off. The organisers didn't even hide this purpose. It was literally announced in the Legislative Assembly and then published in the paper. Nevertheless, it's now been going strong for 38 years and gets bigger and better every year.

It makes no sense

It is incredibly weird to celebrate pirates - thieves, living outside the law, known for raping and pillaging -  in a country as Christian and conservative as Cayman. In the Cayman Islands gambling is illegal, retail trading is prohibited on Sundays, pornography is illegal, there's no gay marriage and good luck making plans with any locals at Church time on Sundays. THIS country has an entire week glorifying PIRATES??

The more you put in, the more you get out of it

I am now the proud owner of two pirate costumes, a fabulous pirate hat which I really need to find more occasions to wear, a sabre and a mixture of other pirate related paraphernalia. Joining in with the festivities makes it so much more fun. I may have even got slightly carried away (so unlike me, I know)....

Sorry, Cass.....

Those who don't throw themselves into it end up regretting it. One friend had not worn her costume into town on Saturday and was so bummed she went home to change (though to be fair she never actually made it as she was kidnapped by pirates and taken out on the ship, but that's a whole other story).

And THAT my friends, is why Pirates Week is so amazing. Bring on 2017!