Why is Champagne used to launch ships?
The nautical tradition of launching a new ship by cracking a bottle of Champagne over the bow has deep historical roots and symbolizes much more than just an extravagant way to celebrate the christening of a vessel. But how did this centuries-old custom evolve, and what are some of the famous ships afforded the honor?
Click through this gallery for a bubbly bon voyage to find out.
A blessing made in blood
The tradition of christening a ship can be traced back to antiquity. Five thousand years ago the Babylonians marked such occasions by sacrificing oxen, blessing the vessel with the beast's blood.
The time of wine
As the British naval fleet expanded, wasting a silver goblet on each new ship became prohibitively expensive. The standing cup ceremony was eventually replaced with breaking a bottle of wine over the bow.
Pomp and ceremony
By the 20th century, Champagne was being used almost exclusively to launch all kinds of sea-going vessels. And the ceremonies became more glamorous and sophisticated. Here, US President Woodrow Wilson's wife Edith christens a new ship in a splash of fizzy spray.
Throwing a drink in the face of the Führer
A Mrs. G.H. Macomber served as sponsor when launching another Liberty vessel in Los Angeles on April 24, 1943. April 24 is Adolf Hitler's birthday, and a painting of a furious-looking Führer on the ship's bow lent the occasion a novel touch.
A princess and the Princess
Princess Grace of Monaco served as sponsor when she christened the newly named cruise liner MS Cunard Princess in New York Harbor on March 30, 1977.
USS Ronald Reagan
In this photograph, former US First Lady Nancy Reagan holds a broken Champagne bottle after christening the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan at Newport, Virginia, on March 4, 2001. Then President George W. Bush looks on.
"Camilla's Curse"
The curse of the unbroken Champagne bottle came back to haunt the then Duchess of Cornwall after she attempted to smash a bottle of fizz against the hull of the Cunard liner Queen Victoria in England in December 2007. Shortly after the ship set sail, 80 passengers fell ill with a stomach bug, the hapless victims calling it "Camilla's Curse."
