Ship christening

The christening of a ship is a ceremonial act that is traditionally performed before a ship is launched. During the naming ceremony, the ship is given its name and a bottle of sparkling wine or champagne is smashed on the ship's hull, a custom that is practised worldwide. Such ceremonies were already common in Mesopotamia in the fourth millennium BC. The ancient Greeks and Romans also had ship christenings. In Japan and China, a line connecting the ship to the land is torn during launching - similar to cutting the umbilical cord at the birth of a human being. Elsewhere, wine was simply poured over the planks, but other sometimes cruel rituals such as human sacrifice were also common. Incidents at christenings were always considered a bad omen.

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Ship christening

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