On what holiday does the Pequod depart in "Moby-Dick"?

On what holiday does the Pequod depart in Moby-Dick? It departs on Christmas Day.

The Pequod leaves Nantucket on a cold Christmas Day, as described in Chapter 22, “Merry Christmas.” The timing gives the voyage an immediately unusual atmosphere: a ship begins a long, dangerous whaling expedition while much of the Christian world is observing a major religious holiday.

Before the departure, the ship’s owners, Peleg and Bildad, help guide the Pequod out of harbor. They then leave the vessel, placing command in the hands of the mates while Captain Ahab remains below deck and unseen. His absence makes the departure feel ominous even before the crew understands the true purpose of the voyage.

Readers sometimes confuse the ship’s departure point with Ishmael’s earlier stop. Ishmael first lodges in New Bedford, then travels to Nantucket, where he joins the Pequod. The ship therefore departs from Nantucket—not New Bedford—and its Christmas sailing begins the voyage that will lead Ahab’s crew around the world in pursuit of Moby Dick.