The Barber's Dance

Each Kaloz ship has a barber, responsible for grooming the men and performing minor surgeries. At the beginning of each raiding season, the Kaloz shave their heads to prevent lice on the ships. A ritual has developed where the ship's barber dances during the spring celebration, holding his chair over his head. He then selects five sailors for the "first shave." There is no special honor for being chosen, other than being allowed to make a drinking toast. Before the ships depart for their seasonal raiding, all the sailors will have been shaved. Some sailors regrow their hair during the year.

(I got the idea for this from the 2011 movie "Coriolanus." A scene shows a barber soldier shaving the heads of other soldiers.)