Blessing of the Fleet

The events that are part of the ritual vary by community and range from a simple ceremony to a multi-day festival including a church service, parades, Pageantry, dancing, feasting, and contests.

[4] The blessing was often performed on specific days under the guardianship of different saints such as St. Peter in Gruissan in Occitanie[5] and Birżebbuġa in Malta, St. Vito in Mazara del Vallo in Sicily or the Virgin of Carmel in various places in Spain such as Cartagena,[6] La Savina and Ibiza.

[10] The current practice of Blessing the Fleet in the US appears to have emerged in the 20th century when the fishing industry was developing along the Gulf Coast and then spread in the decades after the World War II.

[1] In Provincetown, Massachusetts, where the custom started in 1947, the Fourth of July is typically as date and the tradition is rooted in the Portuguese communities.

[1] The ceremony also offers the opportunity to remember those men and women who have died on sea and pray for a successful year of fishing.

88th Annual Blessing of the Fleet Portuguese immigrants introduced the event to their new home in Brunswick, Georgia, around the time of World War II.

The event begins with a morning mass and the ceremonial "May crowning" of the statue of Our Lady of Fatima, followed by a parishioners parade around Hanover Square, adjacent to the church.

The celebration in Darien begins early in the week with activities that include an evening prayer service, a fishermen's fish fry, and a three-day festival with arts & crafts, food vendors, many families and kid-oriented events, live entertainment and fireworks on Saturday night.

The Blessing of the Fleet ceremony is an age-old tradition in which boats parade past the dock where the local clergy pray for a safe and bountiful season.

As the clergy give their blessing a beautiful Magnolia Wreath covered with Red Roses is tossed into the water in memory of and to honor McClellanville fishermen.

[28] The annual Blessing of the Fleet & Seafood Festival in Mount Pleasant, SC pays tribute to local shrimping and fishing industry, offering a boat parade, live music, craft show and many free activities with the picturesque Ravenel Bridge and Charleston Harbor for a backdrop!

[30] The first Blessing of the Fleet celebration is to be held on the eve of the second anniversary of a large fire that threatened many boats as well as lives of some of the crew.

The event will feature a trout boil with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Algoma Fire Department, and Pastor Chris Jackson will be performing the ceremony.

The Blessing of the Fleet is planned to be an annual kick off event, adding to the rich history of Lake Michigan trout and salmon fishing out of the historic port.