Ship's Bells Bring New Tradition into Your Home

Ship's Bells Bring New Tradition into Your Home.

Ship's bells are a beautiful and intriguing way to bring nautical whimsy into your home. When you are decorating your house, each room should have one major focal point that draws attention and makes a statement. A large ship bell like the Purser's Bell is the perfect centerpiece for an entryway or living room.

There are many traditions surrounding ship bells that you can incorporate into your family, if you have a ship bell in your home. For instance, babies that were born at sea were baptized in ship bells. The bells were turned upside down and filled with water for the baptism. After the baptism, the baby's name was inscribed onto the bell. You can create a tradition around ringing a bell the day any babies are born in your family, and on each birthday celebration, ask the person whose birthday is being celebrated to ring the bell one time for every year they have lived.

An engraved bell would make a charming baptism gift for new babies in your family and would harken back to the sea lore surrounding bells. Thisbrass ship bell would make a lovely gift for a baptism. You can have it engraved locally with the baby's name and their birth details. You could also write a small note about the tradition of baptizing babies in ship bells.

On a ship, the bell served the purpose of telling time. A ship hand was assigned the task of watching a half-hour glass. He would turn the hourglass when the sand ran out each half hour. At the first turn, he would ring the ship bell once, at the second twice, and so on, until at the end of the four-hour watch he would ring the bell 8 times. For this reason, when someone passes away, tradition dictates that the ship bell be rung 8 times, symbolizing the end of this person's watch. The New Year is marked by ringing the bell 16 times, 8 for the passing of the old year, and 8 more for the beginning of the New Year.

With a beautiful bell in your home, like this Bronze Ship's Bell you can add a fun New Year's tradition to all your New Year's celebrations by literally "ringing" in the New Year.

For more information on nautical decor for your home, please contact us