Boat Launch Celebration

The celebration takes place in the settlements along the coast of Chukotka, such as Lavrenthy, Uelen, Inchoune, etc and means the beginning of a new season for sea-mammal hunters. The ceremony takes place early in the morning. All of the hunting equipment (harpoons, oars, spears and rifles) is brought to the yaranga and carefully cleaned up and greased with deer fat. All the shamans are summoned to perform rituals during the day-time. Then the hunters empty their hunting boats off snow and prepare for the launching ceremony. Meanwhile women prepare deer fat which is necessary for the coming rituals. The ceremony itself is carried out in the following way: moss is laid inside the boat still ashore; this will create lots of smoke and set the boat alight. Then the boat is launched, loaded with the necessary hunting equipment and then salesmen set off to the place of hunting. The owners of the boats sale into the open sea to feed the spirits, this fetches luck at hunting. Then all the people who saw the boat off are treated to festive food.