This is the 103rd year for Philadelphia’s New Year’s Day Mummers Parade, and this is one of those festivities that sound like so much fun.  I’m hoping that a few of my Philly readers chime in here and let me know if it’s as much fun as it sounds.  (Kelly?  Caroline?  Anyone?)

The history of the Mummers goes back to the Roman Festival of Saturnalia.  Latin laborers wore masks and marched around giving gifts.  There was also a Celtic version that was a little bit more like trick-or-treat, featuring costumes and little gifts.  Both events were filled with pageantry, enthusiasm, and more than a little bit of noise.

Philadelphia got into the act in 1901 with the first official Mummers Parade.  Unofficially large celebrations like this had been going on in Philadelphia for some time even though there were laws prohibiting it.  All that noise and merry-making was deemed too much of a nuisance.  No one was ever convicted of breaking this law, and the revelry eventually became sanctioned.

Since its inception, the Mummers Parade has evolved into a full fledged festival with thousand of capped, capped, and sequined participants strutting their stuff.  Mummers don’t walk, march, or even dance. They cakewalk — a strut that has become closely identified with the Mummers and the parade.

The festivities last for the entirity of New Year’s Day, and much like Mardi Gras in New Orleans, is a competition between the Mummers club around the area.  Each club creates a theme, and then develops it with costumes, props, and pageantry that supports the theme.  This is BIG business, and thousands of dollars go into club competitions.  Although there is some money to be won, it’s really all about bragging rights for the entire year!

Parade entries are divided into four divisions: 

1. Comic Clubs focus on satire and ridicule, and poke fun at anyone and everyone.  From the mild to the ribald, anyone can be a target.
2. Fancy Clubs focus on beautiful colors, costumes, and elaborate, themed presentations.  This is pageantry at its finest. (top photo)
3. String Bands focus on a merger of music and costumery into a uniquie kind of band.  You’ll find a variety of strings, glockenspiels, saxophones, accordions and drums, and lots of accompanying dancers.
4. Fancy Brigades focus on performance.  They march in the parade, but are judged during on their intricate dance routines during a later outdoor performance.  (See video below.)

If you’ll miss New Year’s Day in Philadelphia, you can learn a little more about the Mummers at the Mummers Museum (1100 South 2nd Street, Philadelphia).  It looks like one of those quirky museums that never fails to grab my attention.

Image credits:  All from flickr, top Fancy group, costume, clown

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The Parade emphasizes diversity and family as it brings together the myriad economic, ethnic, social, sexual, and racial components of New York City.  Even the NYC Police Department has recognized the Parade for its contribution in making Halloween a safe event, bringing together the community in a creative and playful way.

The parade queues up at 6th Avenue, south of Spring and North of Canal, between 6:30-8 pm. The parade begins 7 pm and proceeds up 6th from Spring to 21st Street.  Thousands of costumed revelers will join in with puppets, bands, dancers and artists.  Anyone in costumed is invited to join in.

Don’t even think about driving to the Parade; take the subway.  The streets are most crowded between Bleeker and 14th Street; so if that’s the viewing spot you want, get there early.  There are lots of great viewing opportunities along the entire Parade route.

The parade is a favorite of residents and visitors, adults and families, and attracts approximately two million people.  Add in television viewers (NY 1 airing it, 8-9:30 pm), and this event will reach over four million people.  Now that’s a Halloween party!

Photo credit:  Flickr:  skeletons, costumed participants

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San Francisco’s Chinese New Year Parade

This year’s parade promised to be no less spectacular than years past, with over 100 entries that include floats, elaborate costumes, fierce lions, firecrackers, and the newly crowned Miss Chinatown and her court.   You won’t want to miss the Golden Dragon.  It is over 200 feet in length, and takes a crew of over 100 people to carry and parade the dragon throughout the streets.

The San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade started back in the 1860’s as a way for the Chinese community to share their culture with those unfamiliar with it.  Combining the Chinese culture with a strictly American tradition ““ a parade ““ it was an effort to become part of a new culture while maintain the traditions of a lifetime.

In 1959, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce took over the responsibility and direction of the Parade, moving it to the evening and making it a torchlight parade.  The Parade and accompanying two-week festival has grown to become the largest celebration of Asian culture outside of Asia.

Reserved bleacher seating for this year’s parade has already sold out, so you’ll have to find a spot along the parade route to view the festivities.  The streets will be more crowded the closer you get to Chinatown.  Or, watch from the comfort of your home or hotel room on KTVU/Fox 2, or KTSF, Channel 28 (Chinese broadcast).  The parade lasts about two and a half hours.

I’ve been in the San Francisco area for most weekends the past couple months.  However, this weekend I’ll be in a different part of the country and will be missing the parade.  If anyone gets some great photos, please let me know!

Photo credit:  flickr

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So who are the Mummers?  The forerunners appear to date back to 400 B.C. and the Roman Festival of Saturnalia.  In that era, Latin laborers marched in masks through a day of satire and gift exchange; the Celtic version was a variation of the “trick-or-treat” theme.  Since that time, the bacchanalia of New Year’s celebrations have taken many twists and turns, but hthe revelry and enthusiasm of its origins remains.

The first “official” Philadelphia Mummers Parade was held in 1901, and it has become the most authentic folk festival in the world. 

Thousands of people (this year estimated to exceed 15,000), capped and caped, speckled and sequined, strut their stuff as Mummers.  And I do mean strut!  Mummers don’t walk, march, or even dance.  They cakewalk — a strut that has become closely identified with the Mummers and the parade.

The parade is a celebration of the New Year, but it is also serious business.  The revelry only lasts one day ““ but it’s the entire day ““ and it is the culmination of year round work by Mummer clubs to develop a theme, create costumes, build props and rehearse.  It’s all about the competition.  Not for the prize money (which doesn’t begin to cover the cost of parade participation), but about the neighborhood bragging rights for the coming year. 

The parade is divided into four divisions, or troupes:  Comic Clubs, Fancy Clubs, String Bands, and Fancy Brigades. 

The Comics focus on satire and ridicule, and just about any person or institution is fair game.  The Fancies are all about pomp and ceremony, and are known for their beautiful colors, costumes, and elaborate, themed presentations.  The String Bands merge costumes and music in a band that consists of a variety of strings, glockenspiels, saxophones, accordions and drums, along with lots of dancers.  The result is a distinctive strum.  The Fancy Brigades (think lots of Fancies) march in the parade, but are judged during an outdoor performance of complicated and intricate dance routines that follows the parade.

An interesting historical note:  In 1808 legislation was passed in Philadelphia banning the types of celebrations like the Mummer’s Parade.  Leaders felt that such celebrations caused too much nuisance and noise making.  No one was every convicted of charges, and the Mummers Parade remains as festive and noisy as ever.

The Mummers Parade is a great tradition ““ and I’m putting it on my lists of things to see and do.

Photo credit:  (c) Sam Moskovitz/Mummers Museum

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