Mummers Parade

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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 in South Philadelphia, which also serve as social gathering places for members.

1 History
2 Location and Route
3 Two Street
4 Blackened faces
5 See also
6 External links
7 References

[edit] 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

The first official Mummers Parade was on January 1, 1901. Prior to that, local lore holds that many traditions — the dressing ("mumming") from England, Sweden and other countries — came on New Year's Day when at midnight, the citizens shot off guns to welcome the new year, a dangerous tradition that the law frowns upon. The next day, residents usually went door-to-door shouting out the following rhyme:

Here we stand at your door,
As we did 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! (A Philadelphia soup)

The parade is related to the Mummers Play tradition from the UK.

[edit] Location and Route

The Mummers Parade travelled northward up Broad Street in Philadelphia for many years until the 1997 parade when the parade was moved to Market Street due to construction work on Broad Street. After a two year return to Broad Street, the parade was again moved to Market Street for 3 years. This move was considered disastrous as the new route lacked the neighborhood feel that was the signature of Mummery. In 2004, the parade was moved back to Broad Street. Big crowds and a new enthusiasm have made the return a huge success. It was in the late-1990's that the Fancy Brigades were moved to the Pennsylvania Convention Center, which severely limited the amount of people that could go and see them live; however, it allowed them to create huge sets and dazzling performances.

[edit] Two Street

Because of the proximity of such a large number of clubhouses, 2nd Street often serves as an after-the-parade party location, where clubs often march in a sort of unofficial parade. Local residents, and people who have gone to Philadelphia to watch the parade, often revel while watching, and sometimes joining, this unofficial parade/celebration.

Each year, about 15,000 people participate in the parade. Close to $400,000 in prizes are awarded, a small fraction of the cost of sequined, ostrich-plumed costumes, which can run several thousand dollars each.

[edit] 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.^[1]