Today you can have just as much fun as Johnny Depp’s famous movie character Captain Jack Sparrow because September 19 has been officially designated International Talk Like A Pirate Day. And this unorthodox 24 hours of timber-shivering celebration has become one of the world’s favourite offbeat anniversaries.

Talk Like A Pirate Day (TLAPD) is the brainchild of two American friends John “Old Chumbucket” Baur and Mark “Cap’n Slappy” Summers. Originally conceived in 1995, TLAPD really took off in 2002 when Purlitzer Prize winning American journalist Dave Barry wrote about it in his nationally syndicated newspaper column. Since then, Old Chumbucket and Cap’n Slappy have been inundated with interest from all over the world. They even got to appear in an episode of the US version of TV show Wife Swap.

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Boosted by the popularity of the Pirates of the Caribbean movie trilogy, this year’s event looks set to be the largest TLAPD to date. Actor Robert Newton, who played Long John Silver in the 1960 film adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, has been officially named the patron saint of Talk Like A Pirate Day. An official anthem to celebrate the day’s festivities has been written by American fan Tom Smith and a Canadian comedy troupe called Loading Ready Run have produced an educational video on how to ensure you can swashbuckle with the very best.

Show some pirattitude - official website of Talk Like A Pirate Day

Many pirate fans around the world have already confirmed their commitment to some characteristically surreal behaviour for Talk Like A Pirate Day. An American soldier stationed in Iraq will celebrate by wearing an eye patch all day. In Sydney, a harbour cruise will be staged offering “flagons of grog” and prizes for “the dandiest pirate outfits”. While in Venice, would-be buccaneers will battle in an olive-spitting contest.