Blessing of the Fleets

Today (Saturday, 13 April 2013) from 1-5 PM at the Navy Memorial in Washington D.C.  Don't miss it.

The Navy Memorial celebrates its annual “Blessing of the Fleets” ceremony.  Passed down through generations of sailors and navies around the world, the centuries-old ceremony is intended to safeguard crews and ships from the danger of the seas through a traditional blessing given by a clergyman at the water’s edge.  

As a tribute to our nation’s rich maritime heritage and the men and women who have contributed to its growth and success, the Navy Memorial hosts its annual Blessing of the Fleets ceremony each spring.  The event is free and open to the public.  

The ceremony’s highlight occurs when sailors from the US Navy’s Ceremonial Guard proceed across the Memorial Plaza’s “granite sea” to pour water from the Seven Seas and the Great Lakes into the surrounding fountains “charging” them to life and ushering in the spring season.