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April Fool's Day in Your Traveller Universe?

7th senday. (day 50.) Sensenday. When all the Navy superstions come out to play, and the scouts time most practical jokes. The Marines elect the "Major of the Day" from the enlisted, and he gets a crash course in being the OOD; the actual Major takes the EM's duties. If in combat, delayed up to 10 days. Granted by Arbellatra as a "Captain's Permission" tradition....

Typically, Merchants will run the day as a twilight day... reduced light outside workspaces, silly vids in the lounge.

A typical naval initiation is the "Jumping Hull Walk", done while in jump within a 10 day of Sensenday (40-60): vacc suited crewmen are guided out an airlock and to another by expert spacewalkers as a right of passage; the COB usually oversees and gives REALLY harsh warnings about what not to do. (Note: This serves another purpose, too... proving to the new kids you really can work on the hull while in jump!) It's a variant of the old Wog Day tradition.

No imposition on local worlds, but many observe it as a variation on april fools day.
 
What do you know of wogs, aramis? Hmmmm? ;)

Just about every human world is going to have a Fool's day. After all, if you have humans, you have fools. The only places that won't have a Fool's day are those with noone wise enough to see that.

But, no, we've never gone far enough to create any traditions within the game. Should be done, though. :D
 
4 years as a navy cadet, fritz... at least in re Wog Day.

That, and the old victorian axiom "WOGs begin at Calais...." ;)
 
We don't need no stinkin' slimy WOGS!

<--- trusty shellback and proud of it!

For Trav...
crossing the galactic plane perhaps?
 
...
For Trav...
crossing the galactic plane perhaps?

In a 2D galaxy? :smirk:

As measured where? The mean galactic plane, or the homeworld galactic plane? How many parsecs is Earth above (iirc) the mean galactic plane?

EDIT - Not that it's a bad idea, just wondering how to work it. I like it in theory.
 
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A typical naval initiation is the "Jumping Hull Walk", done while in jump within a 10 day of Sensenday (40-60): vacc suited crewmen are guided out an airlock and to another by expert spacewalkers as a right of passage; the COB usually oversees and gives REALLY harsh warnings about what not to do. (Note: This serves another purpose, too... proving to the new kids you really can work on the hull while in jump!) It's a variant of the old Wog Day tradition.

This is a great idea. I have my father's three certificates - Golden Shellback plus two others (one for the arctic circle - IIRC this was the Polar Bear, plus another I can't remember what for).

This just makes me wonder how many comparable initiations we could come up with.
 
Shellback 3 times over. I've also crossed every "line" there is but one (the Antarctic Circle) at sea or in an aircraft. (Major B, I can't remember if the Arctic or Antarctic is the Blue Nose...)

I think the "jump walk" would be a good one (though it conflicts with many people's TUs). Though, it would be only crew - passengers don't get to do something like that (liability reasons), and they shouldn't even know it goes on.

Passenger: "What's that noise? Is something out there? What......"

Steward: "Jump meteors. They bounce harmlessly off the jump field, but they sound like they're hitting the hull. The shower should be over in the next few minutes, then we won't hear them again for the rest of the trip."

Medic, under his breath: "Jump meteors?! That's the best explanation he could come up with? Sheesh. :rolleyes: "
 
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from:
http://www.privatehenrykalinowski.org/Sea_Bag/Shellback/shellback.html

"Other Shellback* certificates include the Gold Shellback title for crossing at the International Date Line and the Emerald Shellback title for crossing at the Greenwich Meridian."

* Shellbacks are sometimes called (Sons of Neptune).


from wiki-waki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line-crossing_ceremony

Similar "fraternities" in the navy include:

* The Order of the Blue Nose for sailors who have crossed the Arctic Circle.
* The Order of the Polar Bear for U.S. sailors who have crossed the Arctic Circle.
* The Order of the Red Nose for sailors who have crossed the Antarctic Circle.
* The Order of the Golden Dragon for sailors who have crossed the International Date Line.
* The Order of the Ditch for sailors who have passed through the Panama Canal.
* The Order of the Rock for sailors who have transited the Strait of Gibraltar.
* The Safari to Suez for sailors who have passed through the Suez Canal.
* The Royal Diamond Shellback for sailors who cross at 0 0 degrees off the coast of West Africa (where the equator crosses the Prime Meridian)
* The Realm of the Czars for sailors who crossed into the Black Sea.
* The Order of Magellan for sailors who circumnavigated the Earth.



Jon, trusty shellback since 1987
 
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