Mummers Parade

A group of "comic" mummers in the 2005 parade

The Mummers Parade is held each New Year's Day in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Local clubs (usually called "New Years Associations") compete in one of four categories (Comics, Fancies, String Bands, and Fancy Brigades). They prepare elaborate costumes and moveable scenery, which take months to complete. This is done in clubhouses, many of which are located on or near 2nd Street (called "Two Street" by some local residents) in South Philadelphia, which also serve as social gathering places for members.

History

A few members of the Aqua String Band in the 2005 parade presenting their theme "Just Plain Dead"

A "fancy" mummer in the 2005 parade

Golden Sunrise Fancy Club members strut their stuff.

The Mummers Parade traces back to mid-17th century roots, blending elements from Swedish, Finnish, Irish, English, German and other European heritages, as well as African-American heritage. The parade is related to the Mummers Play tradition from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Revivals of this tradition are still celebrated anually in South Gloucestershire, England on Boxing Day and in parts of Ireland on St. Stephen's Day.

Swedes, Philadelphia's first settlers, brought the custom of visiting neighbors on "Second Day Christmas" (December 26) with them to Tinicum. This was soon extended through New Year’s Day with costumed celebrants loudly parading through the city. Traditional New Years' celebrations of firing guns (Swedes and Finns) and recitations of traditional rhymes (English and Welsh) joined common practices of visiting neighbors. The Belsnickle, an early German version of Santa Claus, inspired comic masqueraders riding through Tinicum and Kingsessing dressed as clowns. Philadelphia's 19th century Carnival of Horns drew thousands of merrymakers in festive costumes to the vicinity of Eighth and South Streets in South Philadelphia. Southern plantation life’s contributions include the Parade’s theme song, Oh! Dem Golden Slippers, as well as the 19th-century cakewalk, dubbed the "Mummers' Strut". Other ethnic groups have been integrated into the parade as the years have gone on. Italians began to participate in large numbers after World War II.

Celebrants using firearms to "shoot in" the new year much later inspired the "New Year's Shooters and Mummers Association". Revelers travelling from door-to-door sang and danced for rewards of food and drink.

The early Swedish Mummers often selected a "speech director", who had a special dance and recited a traditional rhyme, such as:

Here we stand before your door,
As we stood the year before;
Give us whiskey; give us gin,
Open the door and let us in.
Or give us something nice and hot
Like a steaming hot bowl of pepper pot!

The earliest documented club, the Chain Gang, formed in 1840. The first official parade was held January 1, 1901. The first String Band, Trilby, first paraded in 1902. In the early years of the official parade, the make-shift costumes of most celebrants were gradually replaced by more elaborate outfits funded by associations’ fund-raising efforts.

Location, time and route

The Mummers Parade traveled northward on Broad Street in Philadelphia for decades until the 1995 parade when the parade was moved to Market Street due to construction work on Broad Street (notably the "Avenue of the Arts" between Washington Ave. and City Hall). After construction was completed, the parade returned to Broad Street from 1996 to 1999. For various reasons, the parade was moved again to Market Street in 2000. In 2004, the parade was moved back to Broad Street. In 1997 the Fancy Brigades were moved to the Pennsylvania Convention Center, allowing for larger sets, but limiting audience size.

Each year, thousands of people participate in the parade, many wearing elaborate costumes costing thousands of dollars to make. $395,000 in prizes is awarded to the various winners.

The parade begins at 9:00 AM and ends sometime before 8:00 PM. Fancy Brigades perform at the nearby Pennsylvania Convention Center at noon and, in a second, judged show, at 5:00 PM.

Incidents of foul weather have delayed the parade on occasions by several hours, including 2008. And an all-day postponement is required for foul weather, the parade is usually held the following Saturday (or Sunday, if Saturday is inclement), as the expensive and fancy costumes are easily harmed by precipitation or high winds.

Each year, there is a festival leading up to the parade called MummersFest. It allows fans to tour the Pennsylvania Convention Center to watch the Fancy Brigades build their floats and practice for their New Year's Day reveal.

Two Street

Mummer's Museum

Because of the large number of clubhouses there, South 2nd Street (Two Street) often serves as a party location after the parade, with the epicenter being South 2nd Street and Mifflin Street. Local residents and others in the area for the parade crowd the local bars, clubhouses and sidewalks, sometimes joining in the unofficial parade. With the parade they spent months preparing for over, the Mummers let loose and celebrate. This multi-block party continues well into the night or early morning, with some Mummers not sleeping for 24 hours straight.

• Mummers video from Two Street (2007) on YouTube

Blackened faces

The wearing of black face paint was once a traditional part of the parade. Growing dissent from civil rights groups and the offense of the black community led to a 1964 official city policy ruling out blackface. With growing controversy, blackface is still a part of Mummers or Darky Day in Cornwall, UK and the related Jonkonnu parades in the Caribbean.

Divisions

Comics

Comics are clowns in colorful outfits, often with multi-level umbrellas who dance to recordings such as "Golden Slippers". Themes often gently parody current events and traditional life. Prizes are awarded for floats, groups, brigades, couples, original costume, original character, and juvenile.

The comic clubs are Goodtimers, Landi, Liberty and Murray

Fancies

Adelphia

Golden Sunrise

Hog Island

Oregon

String Bands

Aqua

Avalon

Broomall

Duffy

Durning

Ferko

Fralinger

Greater Kensington

Greater Overbrook

Hegeman

Irish American

Pennsport

Polish American

Quaker City

South Philadelphia

Trilby

Uptown

Woodland

Fancy Brigades

Avenuers

Cahills

Clevemore

Downtowners

Golden Crown

Jokers

Satin Slipper

Saturnalian

2nd St Shooters

Shooting Stars

South Philly Vikings

Further Reading

• Kennedy, E.A. (2007). Life, Liberty, and the Mummers. Temple University Press. ISBN 978-1592135882. (reviewed with excerpt in Chronicle of Higher Education. Nov. 23, 2007 p. B19.)
• Masters, P. (2007). The Philadelphia Mummers: Building Community Through Play. Temple University Press. ISBN 978-1592136100.

External links

• Official site
• Mummers Parade, City of Philadlephia Recreation Department
• Mummers Fancy Brigade Association Web site
• National Geographic Feature