Mummers Parade

The Mummers Parade is held each New Year’s Day in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Local clubs called “New Years Associations” compete in one of four categories “Comics, Fancies, String Bands, and Fancy Brigades”. They organize detailed costumes and transportable landscape, which take months to complete. This is done in clubhouses, many of which are located on 2nd Street or near to the street in the “Pennsport” neighborhood of South Philadelphia, which also provide social gathering places for members.

Mummers parade is one of the biggest parades of the world around 15,000 Mummers perform in the parade. You can estimate the cost of the costumes and other expenses by this that in previous years about $400,000 in prizes was awarded. The City is not providing prize money this year. Oath of pecuniary support include Verizon $10,000, Geno’s owner Joey Vento $40,000 the Electric Factory “$10,000 a year for 10 years”, Forman Mills $22,000, and the Delaware Valley Regional Economic Development Fund $100,000.

Mummers Parade tradition started back to 400 BC and the Roman Festival of Saturnalias where Latin laborers demonstrated in masks throughout the day of spoof and gift exchange. This integrated Celtic distinction of “trick-or-treat” and dreadful noise-making to move away evil spirit for the New Year. Reports of rowdy groups “parading” on New Year’s Day in Philadelphia date back before the revolution. Prizes were offered by merchants in the late 1800’s. January 1, 1901 was the first “official” parade offered about $1,725 in prize money from the city.

The Mummers parade is a celebration of the New Year but Philadelphians think of it as a serious business. Clubs work on the costumes and practice all year for their one day in the sun (…wind, rain or snow). There are many lively deliberations over achieve by the judges and obedience to the complex set of rules the marchers must follow when being judged. String Bands are judged on their musical presentation as well as the costumes. Seeing and hearing a String Band performing live in the parade is a one-of-a-kind experience.

The outdoor parade was postponed in 2003, the first time in 13 years. There have been 22 weather-related postponements since 1922. There was no parade in 1919 due to WW1 and in 1934 due to the depression and the lack of prize money.

Mummers Parade

Mummers Parade

Mummers Parade

Mummers Parade