Editing Ceremonial ship launching (section)

===United States===
[[File:Launching of the John W. Boardman cargo ship - DPLA - 5670c1a5452f4e14f2f7a318b18aa656.jpg|thumb|right|Launching of the ''John W. Boardman'' cargo ship from the Toledo Shipyard, Toledo, Ohio, 1916]]
Ceremonial practices for christening and launching ships in the [[United States]] have their roots in Europe. Descriptions are not plentiful for launching [[American Revolutionary War]] naval vessels, but a local newspaper detailed the launch of Continental frigate {{USS|Raleigh|1776|2}} at [[Portsmouth, New Hampshire]], in May 1776:<ref name="FAQ108"/>

{{blockquote|
On Tuesday the 21st inst. the Continental Frigate of thirty-two guns, built at this place... was Launched amidst the acclamation of many thousand spectators. She is esteemed by all those who are judges that have seen her, to be one of the compleatest ships ever built in America. The unwearied diligence and care of the three Master-Builders... and the good order and industry of the Carpenters, deserve particular notice; scarcely a single instance of a person's being in liquor, or any difference among the men in the yard during the time of her building, every man with pleasure exerting himself to the utmost: and altho' the greatest care was taken that only the best of timber was used, and the work perform'd in a most masterly manner, the whole time from her raising to the day she launched did not exceed sixty working days, and what afforded a most pleasing view (which was manifest in the countenances of the Spectators) this noble fabrick was completely to her anchors in the main channel, in less than six minutes from the time she run, without the least hurt; and what is truly remarkable, not a single person met with the least accident in launching, tho' near five hundred men were employed in and about her when run off.<ref name="FAQ108"/>
}}

It was customary for the builders to celebrate a ship launching. [[Rhode Island]] authorities were charged with overseeing construction of frigates {{USS|Warren|1776|2}} and {{USS|Providence|1776 frigate|2}}. They voted the sum of fifty dollars ({{Inflation|US|50|1776|fmt=eq|r=-2}}) to the master builder of each yard "to be expended in providing an entertainment for the carpenters that worked on the ships." Five pounds ({{Inflation|US|5|1776|fmt=eq|r=-2}}) was spent for lime juice for the launching festivities of frigate {{USS|Delaware|1776|2}} at [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]], suggesting that the "entertainment" included a potent punch with lime juice as an ingredient.<ref name="FAQ108"/>

No mention has come to light of christening a Continental Navy ship during the American Revolution. The first ships of the Continental Navy were {{USS|Alfred|1774|2}}, {{USS|Cabot|1775|2}}, {{USS|Andrew Doria|1775|2}}, and {{USS|Columbus|1774|2}}. These were former merchantmen, and their names were assigned during conversion and outfitting. Later, [[United States Congress|Congress]] authorized the construction of thirteen frigates, and no names were assigned until after four had launched.<ref name="FAQ108"/>

The first description that we have of an American warship christening is that of {{USS|Constitution||2}} at Boston, October 21, 1797, famous as "Old Ironsides." Her sponsor was Captain James Sever, USN, who stood on the weather deck at the bow.  "At fifteen minutes after twelve she commenced a movement into the water with such steadiness, majesty and exactness as to fill every heart with sensations of joy and delight." As ''Constitution'' ran out, Captain Sever broke a bottle of fine old [[Madeira wine|Madeira]] over the heel of the [[bowsprit]].<ref name="FAQ108"/>

Frigate {{USS|President|1800|2}} had an interesting launching on April 10, 1800, at New York:<ref name="FAQ108"/>

{{blockquote|
Was launched yesterday morning, at ten o'clock, in the presence of perhaps as great a concourse of people as ever assembled in this city on any occasion. At nine, captain Ten-Eyck's company of artillery..., accompanied by the uniform volunteer companies of the sixth regiment and the corps of riflemen, marched in procession... and took their station alongside the frigate. Everything being prepared, and the most profound silence prevailing,...  At a given signal she glided into the waters, a sublime spectacle of gracefulnes and grandeur. Immediately on touching the water federal salutes were fired from the sloop of war ''[[USS Portsmouth (1798)|Portsmouth]]'', the revenue cutter ''Jay'' and the ''Aspasia'', Indiaman. These were returned by the uniform companies on shore, who fired a [[Feu de joie|feu-de-joye]], and marched off the ground to the battery... and were dismissed.<ref name="FAQ108"/>
}}

As the 19th century progressed, American ship launchings continued to be festive occasions, but with no set ritual except that the sponsor(s) used some "christening fluid" as the ship received her name.<ref name="FAQ108"/>

Sloop of war {{USS|Concord|1828|2}} was launched in 1828 and was "christened by a young lady of Portsmouth." This is the first known instance of a woman sponsoring a United States Navy vessel. The contemporaneous account does not name her.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/christening-launching-and-commissioning-of-u-s-navy-ships.html |title=Christening, Launching, and Commissioning of U.S. Navy Ships |website=history.navy.mil |first=John C. |last=Reilly |date=5 January 2021 |access-date=2016-04-18}}</ref> The first ''identified'' woman sponsor was Lavinia Fanning Watson, daughter of a prominent Philadelphian. She broke a bottle of wine and water over the bow of [[sloop-of-war]] {{USS|Germantown|1846|2}} at [[Philadelphia Naval Shipyard|Philadelphia Navy Yard]] on August 22, 1846.<ref name="FAQ108"/>

[[File:Sponsor of USS Wichita (LCS-13) smashes champagne bottle over bow of ship during christening ceremony US Navy 160917-N-N0101-100.jpg|thumb|Kate Lehrer, sponsor of the future USS ''Wichita'' (LCS 13), breaks a bottle of champagne across LCS-13's bow during the ship's christening ceremony.]]

Women as sponsors became increasingly the rule, but not universally so. As sloop-of-war {{USS|Plymouth|1844|2}} "glided along the inclined plane" in 1846<!--1844?-->, "two young sailors, one stationed at each side of her head, anointed her with bottles, and named her as she left her cradle for the deep."  As late as 1898, the torpedo boat {{USS|MacKenzie|TB-17|2}} was christened by the son of the builder.<ref name="FAQ108"/>

Wine is the traditional christening fluid, although numerous other liquids have been used. {{USS|Princeton|1843|2}} and {{USS|Raritan|1843|2}} were sent on their way in 1843 with [[whisky]]. Seven years later, "a bottle of best [[brandy]] was broken over the bow of steam sloop {{USS|San Jacinto|1850|2}}." Steam frigate {{USS|Merrimack|1855|2}} earned her place in naval history as [[Confederate States of America]] ironclad {{ship|CSS|Virginia||2}}, and she was baptized with water from the [[Merrimack River]]. Admiral [[David Farragut]]'s famous [[American Civil War]] [[flagship]] steam sloop {{USS|Hartford|1858|2}} was christened by three sponsors; two young ladies broke bottles of [[Connecticut River]] water and [[Hartford, Connecticut]] spring water, while a naval lieutenant completed the ceremony with a bottle of sea water.<ref name="FAQ108"/>

[[Champagne (wine)|Champagne]] came into popular use as a christening fluid as the 19th century closed. A granddaughter of [[United States Secretary of the Navy|Secretary of the Navy]] [[Benjamin F. Tracy]] wet the bow of {{USS|Maine|ACR-1|2}}, the Navy's first steel battleship, with champagne at the [[Brooklyn Navy Yard|New York Navy Yard]] on November 18, 1890. The effects of national [[prohibition]] on alcoholic beverages were reflected to some extent in ship christenings. [[Cruiser]]s {{USS|Pensacola|CA-24|2}} and {{USS|Houston|CA-30|2}}, for example, were christened with water; the [[submarine]] [[USS Nautilus (SS-168)|''V-6'']] with cider.  However, battleship {{USS|California|BB-44|2}} appropriately received her name with California wine in 1919. Champagne returned in 1922, but only for the launch of light cruiser {{USS|Trenton|CL-11|2}}.<ref name="FAQ108"/>

[[Image:NRCHRISTEN.jpg|thumb|right|First Lady [[Nancy Reagan]] christens the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier {{USS|Ronald Reagan|CVN-76}} on 4 March 2001]]
Rigid naval [[airship]]s {{USS|Los Angeles|ZR-3|2}}, {{USS|Shenandoah|ZR-1|2}}, {{USS|Akron|ZRS-4|2}}, and {{USS|Macon|ZRS-5|2}} were built during the 1920s and early 1930s, carried on the [[Naval Vessel Register]], and each was formally [[ship commissioning|commissioned]].  The earliest [[First Lady of the United States]] to act as sponsor was [[Grace Coolidge]] who christened the airship ''Los Angeles''. [[Lou Henry Hoover]] christened ''Akron'' in 1931, but the customary bottle was not used. Instead, the First Lady pulled a cord which opened a hatch in the airship's towering nose to release a flock of pigeons.<ref name="FAQ108"/>

Thousands of ships of every description came off the ways during [[World War II]], the concerted effort of a mobilized American industry. The historic christening and launching ceremonies continued, but travel restrictions, other wartime considerations, and sheer numbers dictated that such occasions be less elaborate than those in the years before the war.<ref name="FAQ108">''(This article includes material from "Ships of the United States Navy: Christening, Launching and Commissioning, Second Edition," which was prepared for and published by the [[Naval Historical Center|Naval History Division]] of the [[United States Department of the Navy|Department of the Navy]], [[Washington, D.C.]], 1975, and therefore is in the public domain as federal government work).'' {{cite web |url=http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq108.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010611070328/http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq108.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 June 2001 |title=Christening, Launching, and Naming of U.S. Navy Ships |access-date=2013-06-05 |last=Reilly |first=John C. |date=31 May 2001 |publisher=Naval History and Heritage Command }}</ref> 
[[File:USS Pivot (AM-276) is launched at the Gulf Shipbuilding Corporation, Chickasaw, Alabama (USA), on 11 November 1943.jpg|thumb|Minesweeper {{USS|Pivot|AM-276}} launched at the Gulf Shipbuilding Company, [[Chickasaw, Alabama]] in 1943.]]
On 15 December 1941, the [[United States Maritime Commission]] announced that all formal launching ceremonies would be discontinued for merchant ships being constructed under its authority, though simple informal ceremonies could continue without reimbursement to builders.<ref>{{cite journal |journal=Pacific Marine Review |year=1942 |title=On the Ways: Launching Ceremonies to be Discontinued |issue=January 1942 |page=99  |url=https://archive.org/stream/pacificmarinerev3942paci#page/n58/mode/1up |access-date=9 August 2014}}</ref>

In recent history, all U.S. Navy sponsors have been female. In addition to the ceremonial breaking of a champagne bottle on the bow, the sponsor remains in contact with the ship's crew and is involved in special events such as homecomings.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dcmilitary.com/navy/trident/8_36/national_news/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20050323033234/http://www.dcmilitary.com/navy/trident/8_36/national_news/|url-status=dead|archive-date=2005-03-23|title=Navy sponsors lift morale of Sailors, Marines|work=dcmilitary.com}}</ref>