Whether it’s Jeeps, cruise ships, or elsewhere, happy little rubber ducks have hit the scene! They bring a bright spot of cheer and plenty of smiles wherever one might find them. While separated by countries and involving two completely different modes of transportation, both jeep ducking and cruise ship ducking all started for the same reason: a random act of kindness. The history of ducking is almost as much fun as ducking itself.
Cruise Ship Ducking Came First
As popular and widely known as Jeep ducking is, cruise ship ducking came first. According to Cruise Line.com, ducking started as early as 2015, but the phenomenon is mostly credited to a little eleven-year-old girl named Abby. With the goal of making others smile, she asked her mother to bring rubber ducks along on their cruise for others to find. She hid about fifty ducks around the cruise ship that first time. It took off from there. The family started a Facebook group in March of 2018 called Cruising Ducks – Original Group that has since grown to over 200,000 members.
How Do Cruise Ducks Work?
Now people are leaving and finding little ducks on cruise ships all over the world. Like a little scavenger hunt or a game of hide and seek, it has become a bona fide cruise activity all its own. Tags for cruising ducks often say things like, “Oh, what luck. You found a duck!” or “ConQUACKulations!” They also contain the phrase “Keep or hide. You decide.” This suggests to the finder that ducks can be kept for a collection or re-hidden for others to find. Tags also include the hashtag #cruisingducks with little Facebook and Instagram icons to remind the finders to post on social media as well as passport-type information. That way, the finder will be able to remember the exact cruise on which the duck was found. Sometimes duckers will even sign the tags with a family name for a more personal touch.
Cruising ducks are fun, but those in the know say that there are a few rules to the game. Duckers shouldn’t hide them in shops (so there is no question about stealing), in pools or hot tubs (where they might clog the pipes), or anywhere that a strong gust of wind might carry the duck overboard into the sea (where they could be swallowed by wildlife). Instead, restaurants, public areas, and even cabins are recommended.
Jeep Ducking Came Later
The year 2020 was, let’s just say, eventful. The pandemic had people on-edge, and one Canadian Jeep Wrangler owner would use a rubber duck to bring a smile to a fellow Jeeper. According to Reader’s Digest, her name was Allison. It all started when she had an ugly altercation with someone at a gas station. Stressed and needing to calm down, she reached out to a friend who helped her through the ordeal. To thank him, she bought a bag of little plastic ducks to hide all over his house.
Before she could get there, though, she took out one single duck while she was still in the store’s parking lot. She scribbled a little note on it “Nice ride” and placed it on a stranger’s Jeep. The owner saw her do it and laughed, suggesting that she post on social media, so she did. Later, she started a Facebook group called Official Ducking Jeep Est 2020. It has almost 80,000 members today and is recognized by Jeep as the official account.
How Do Jeep Ducks Work?
Allison brought joy to someone else while also bringing joy to herself. She made another person feel included during a time when she felt alone. Now other Jeep owners are doing the same. Whether it’s on the driver’s side handle, the mirror, or by the wipers, leaving ducks is almost as much fun as finding them. Both ways, you are sure to see smiles.
Just like cruising ducks, Jeep ducks also often come with tags. Phrases like “You’ve been ducked,” “Nice Rig,” and “Sweet Ride” are common – and many more. Jeep owners are also encouraged to post to social media with hashtags #jeepducking and #duckduckjeep. It’s a little “inside secret” that has Jeep owners feeling like part of something bigger than themselves. In the same spirit of inclusion, the movement has gone from just Jeep Wranglers to every model of Jeep. In fact, there are even other makes of vehicles that have lately taken up the trend.
The History of Ducking & It’s Future
No matter where you duck, the history of ducking all started with kindness. Someone wanted to make someone else smile. It’s a simple concept and one we could sure use more of in the world. So that’s where you come in. Whether you a Jeep owner, a cruise passenger, or just just someone who wants to make someone else smile, grab a duck and get ducking!
Check out history’s newest edition: #DuckforJesus. It’s about sharing the love of Jesus with ducks and smiles.