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比洛克西市的船隻祈福活動
地方性遺產
如果您看過電影「天搖地動」(The
Perfect Storm)，那麼您就知道它對以捕魚為生的人來說，有多麼的危險。這也就是為什麼當密西西比州比洛克西市的捕蝦季開始時，聖米歇爾天主教堂的神父每年都會為捕蝦船祈福。當萬年青花圈掉入水中的那一刻，節慶就正式展開，而這些花圈是為了弔念那些喪生在海中的漁民。然後，由30多艘色彩鮮豔的捕蝦船所組成的長隊伍，會行經一艘已下錨的「祈福船」(Blessing
Boat)，而神父就站在這艘船上，向每一艘船噴灑聖水並為它祈福，祈求一個安全且豐收的釣魚季。
船隻祈福是一個古老的習俗，始於歐洲，由移民帶來美國。每次只要漁船出海，就存在著潛在的危險，如：翻船、船身出現裂縫、迷航或水手不慎落水。同時亦不確定是否能捕獲足夠的海鮮，讓這趟旅程獲利。比洛克西市所舉行的，捕蝦船祈福習俗始於1929年，而且應該會沿續一段很久的時間。
If you saw the movie "The Perfect Storm," then you know how dangerous it can be to fish for a living. That's why every year at the beginning of the shrimp fishing season in Biloxi, Mississippi, a priest from St. Michael's Catholic Church blesses the shrimp boats. The ceremony begins with the dropping of an evergreen wreath into the water in remembrance of fishermen who have been lost at sea. Then a colorful procession of more than 30 shrimp boats files past the anchored "Blessing Boat," where the priest stands, sprinkling holy water on each of the boats and blessing each one, asking for a safe and successful fishing season.
Blessing of ships is an old custom that started in Europe and was brought to America. Every time a boat is taken out into the water there are potential dangers -- turning over (capsizing), springing a leak, getting lost, or sailors falling overboard. There is also the uncertainty of whether or not enough seafood will be caught to make the trip profitable. The custom of blessing the shrimp boats started in Biloxi in 1929 and will probably continue for a long time.
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關於地方性遺產
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