See photos of the US Navy's rare blue nose tradition, which may also be its strangest

In 1851, a ship successfully crossed the Arctic Circle as part of what is now known as the First Grinnell Expedition.

Funded by Henry Grinnell, an American merchant from New York, and carried out by US Navy officers, the mission aimed to find the lost expedition of English explorer Sir John Franklin, who led a team of Royal Navy sailors to the Arctic six years prior and never returned.

The First Grinnell Expedition marked the first time the US Navy successfully navigated the Arctic and returned to the US. It was soon followed by the second Grinnell Expedition, which reached the highest recorded latitude in the Western Hemisphere at the time.

With the knowledge gained about land masses, sailing techniques, and maritime paths in the Arctic, many expeditions north would follow.

Despite a growing understanding of the area from repeat expeditions, it would be decades before the journey became less perilous. Many who explored the Arctic would not return after succumbing to the cold temperatures or damage sustained by ships from the ice.

For 19th-century ships, the ice pack could become so dense that sailors would get stuck for months at a time, having to wait until the summer months for the ice to thaw and melt to pass through successfully.

One of the most famous instances of the danger of the Arctic is the Jeannette, a ship that was stuck in ice for two years before it was eventually crushed by ice. Members aboard the Jeannette escaped the boat but eventually froze to death in the Arctic winter.

There are myriad unofficial honors granted to members of the US Navy by tradition. Plank owners, Shellbacks, and even Golden Dragons all require certain parameters to be met before the certificates can be handed out.

A number of requirements need to be met to join the Order of the Blue Nose. But only recently have US Navy ships started returning to the Arctic Circle. The region has seen increased activity amid growing great power competition there. In late 2018, USS Harry Truman sailed to the Arctic Circle to participate in military exercises with other NATO forces — the first aircraft carrier to venture into the Arctic since the early 1990s.

And not all Navy vessels make their way to the Arctic. Ships stationed on the East Coast of the US are more likely to make their way to the Arctic compared to their West Coast counterparts. But even if a sailor is on the right ship and sailing out of the right port, they still may not actually make it to the Arctic Circle if the commanding officer deems it a waste of fuel or it doesn't make sense for the trip.

Going through various naval ceremonies serves as a morale booster for sailors, marking a significant moment in their career traversing the ocean.

As US Secretary of the Navy John H. Dalton wrote in 1997, "these activities, if properly supervised, can be effective leadership tools to instill esprit de corps, unit cohesion, and respect for an accomplishment of another Sailor or Marine."

"'Crossing the line' ceremonies, and others, are only meant to celebrate and recognize the achievements of individual Sailors or Marines or those of entire units," Dalton continued.

Because there is no formalized ceremony or certificate, the actual Blue Nose ceremony can vary from ship to ship. However, there are some commonalities among them.

All ceremonies include a visit from Boreas Rex, the King of the North whose domain the sailors enter upon crossing the Arctic Circle. To be accepted into his realm, sailors must go through a series of challenges designed by captains and crews.

The tradition to mark the feat of crossing some of the harshest waters in the world is practiced beyond the US Navy.

Britain's military also has a long-standing tradition for sailors who cross into the Arctic Circle to become members of the Royal Order of the Blue Nose, upon which the US rite of passage could be based.

The crew of Canadian tanker, Nikolay Yevgenov, did their homework on crossing traditions online and discovered the Blue Nose ceremony. In an effort to boost morale and reward the crew for their hard work during their perilous journey, Captain Denis O'Donnell put together his spin on the Blue Nose Ceremony for his crew.

"The ceremonies differ ship to ship depending on time trade and willingness of the people onboard to take part. However, the ceremonies may differ, and the feeling is shared upon completion," O'Donnell wrote in a blog post of the experience. "These rituals help to form a common bond on board through the good times and especially the tough times."

Though US Navy submarines frequently visit the Arctic, larger naval ships have been absent for roughly the past 20 years. The Navy only started again sending ships to the Arctic within the last five to six years.

The climate crisis is opening up new passageways in the Arctic, creating more opportunities for competition among countries like the US, Russia, and China. Increased assertiveness by some US rivals is leading the US military to look more closely at the region.

The Blue Nose ceremony might become much more common than it has been in the past 20 years while the US Navy keeps an eye on escalating tensions in the Arctic.

Editor's note: This article has been updated to reflect the British military's "Royal Order of the Blue Nose" traditions, including clarifying that a certificate came from the Royal Air Force.