The Maritime baptism
or Neptune’s baptism is a traditional event in Piran, organized every year by
the Secondary maritime school Portorož. It is held at the beginning of the
school year to honour maritime traditions and initiate a new generation of
seamen.
The event can last up to three days, ending with Neptune’s “return” to
the sea. It is accompanied by a rich programme with folklore groups’
performances and pirate-style animation. The closing ceremony where the Lord of
the seas returns to his dwelling is accompanied by the town’s wind orchestra.
The ceremony is a procession lead by older students dressed as pirates, whereas
the novices follow in the back as slaves, dressed in rough sackcloth.
Exhibition of a pirate themed table setting
In Hoteli Bernardin we cherish tradition.
Thus we
accentuate the maritime tradition in our corporate image, following and taking
care of Piran’s history. This year at the Tourism and hospitality assembly our
employees made a lasting impression with their pirate themed table setting,
which was awarded the golden prize.
Pirates in Piran
According to archived
written records, there were no pirates in Piran. The pirates from the Ionian
sea and northern Africa used to stay in the Mediterranean sea. According to one
of the theories about the origin of the name “Piran”, the town’s name
supposedly originated from the word “pirate”, a hypothesis rejected by
historians. The name of the town is said to come from the word “pyrannos”,
which means “red coloured” and describes red flysch stone.
Thanks to its
enclosed location, Piran’s port was better protected than other ports in the
Mediterranean sea, where pirates and corsairs sailed, plundering ships for
their cargo and also people, who were enslaved for rowing or housework.
Literate men became scribes, attractive women were sent to harems. It is said
there is a difference between a pirate and a corsair: corsairs had a permit
from their country of origin to plunder ships from other lands, whereas pirates
plundered everything and everyone, regardless of the ship’s origin. You can
discover the maritime world in the Maritime museum Sergej Mašera in Piran or
treat yourself with a seafood culinary experience in one of our restaurants.