Every New Year’s Day in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is met by a longstanding parade procession of great acclaim. I am, of course, referring to the one and only Mummers Parade. Started in 1901, the Mummers Parade remains the longest-running continuous folk parade in the country and is nationally recognized as a major statewide event that draws in 10 thousand participants and hundreds of thousands of viewers each year. Today it can be a real hoot to watch, as local clubs compete in five different categories (Comics, Wench Brigades, Fancies, String Bands, and Fancy Brigades) all decked out in elaborate costumes while performing fun and fanciful skits and routines for the enjoyment of onlookers. But to learn more about the initial inspiration and history for how these annual parades got started requires going back even further. So that’s why in this Flashback Friday Feature, I’m retracing the earliest origins of Philadelphia’s Mummers Parade tradition.
The Tradition of Mummers
Mummer-related traditions date back as far as ancient Egyptian times. They’ve also been recorded in ancient Greece. The word “mummer” actually comes from the Greek “momus”—a mythological personification of something satirical or mocking. A variation of the root origin can also be seen in the late Middle English word “mommer” and “momeur” in Old French. Both these meanings follow a similar nature as they relate to miming, masking, and play-acting.
Mummery in the New World
As is the familiar trend, when European immigrants started settling in the New World throughout the 17th century, they brought with them various preexisting traditions from their homelands. During this time many nations had their own established forms of mummery celebrations, including the Feast of Saturnalia, the Florentine Carnival, and the British Mummer’s Play among others.
Some immigrants celebrated a festive Second Christmas on December 26 while others reserved the boisterous banter for New Year’s Day. As a melting pot of traditions, folks hailing from all over the Colonies were soon getting into the fun act of “mumming” along with family and friends. Celebratory methods and merry-making still varied greatly but in most cases, it involved performing skits or plays, reciting poems, and more. Indulging Mummers with food and drink also became the norm.
Early Mummer Observances in Philadelphia
Mummer-like events and observances throughout Philadelphia were especially popular during the Revolutionary War. Following the War, President George Washington kept up the tradition of making his rounds through the city to greet and socialize with friends in the week leading up to the coming new year.
Taming Lively Celebrations
By the 1800s some of the Philadelphia-based Mummer celebrations became increasingly disruptive. New Year’s Day started to emerge as a time when working-class young men would organize processions and even fire off weapons into the air. Some would even demand free drinks at local taverns while others were out to stir up trouble with the middle and upper classes. In 1808 a law even decreed that “masquerades” and “masquerade halls” in Philadelphia were “common nuisances” and that anyone participating would be subject to a fine and imprisonment. The law never actually was enforced, though, and by 1859 it was repealed.
Still, in seeking a way to quell some of the rowdier practices that started to be associated with mummery, the City of Philadelphia came up with a mutually befitting solution in 1880. It came as a co-option policy requiring participants to join organized groups under the direction of assigned leaders who could apply for permits and account for their groups’ actions.
An Annual Parade is Born
Soon the city streets became home to so many different parading parties of costumed Mummers. The sight was even compared to that of a masked ball. And by 1900 all these different groups even joined in for an organized, city-sanctioned parade that offered cash prizes for the best performances.
From the success of this premiere parade, a new annual tradition was born. The following year in 1901 saw the first formal, city-sponsored parade in Philadelphia. Ever since the Mummers Parade has been a New Year’s Day mainstay in Philadelphia, celebrated almost every year.
Today’s Mummers Parade is as much a beloved annual tradition as ever before. It continues to attract folks far and wide throughout the Mid-Atlantic (and beyond) as a highly anticipated event that’s forever transcending and current. Click here to read about what this year’s event has in store.