International Talk Like A Pirate Day was created in 1995 by John Baur and Mark Summers, but it gained global recognition in 2002 when columnist Dave Barry promoted the holiday. The day, celebrated annually on September 19th, encourages people to abandon standard English in favor of pirate-speak—heavy on the arrrs, mateys, and ahoys. In meme culture, the holiday serves as a recurring annual event where users mock the sudden shift in vocabulary or celebrate the absurdity of the tradition. It often features characters like Jack Sparrow or generic buccaneers to highlight the hilarious contrast between everyday professional life and the swashbuckling persona adopted for the day.