I didn't think about childhood New Years Day parades until much later while preparing dinner. It was then that my mind drifted to over fifty years ago when we would all sit in front of the television and watch a different parade. Watching this other parade was much more of a big deal to us because it took place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania which was our father's hometown. As images of this long-ago New Year's Day activity danced through my head, I was curious as to the history behind the Mummers and their showy parade. My research efforts were not in vain. I found all sorts of interesting facts as well as some photos already posted from today's parade.
The Mummers Parade has been around for much longer than the Rose Parade which celebrated its 120 year anniversary today. The first Mummers Day Parade in Philadelphia was held on January 1, 1901. It's roots go all the way back to the 17th century with Swedish, Finnish, Irish, English and German influence. African and other European heritages have also strongly influenced the evolution of the Mummers Parade over time.
The first settlers to Philadelphia were the Swedes who brought a custom of Second Day Christmas (December 26th) visitation to neighbors. Soon, they extended their visitations through New Year's Day. It's been said that George Washington carried on this tradition for the seven years he lived in the President's House in Philadelphia.
Southern Plantation life contributed to the traditions now embedded in the parade and surrounding celebration. Most noted are the parade's theme song "Oh, Dem Golden Slippers" and the distinctive 19th century "Cakewalk" otherwise known as "The Mummers' Strut" or "Second Street Strut." Wearing blackface paints was once a common practice but was officially banned in 1964 due to increasing dissent among Civil Rights activists and offense in the African-American community.
The Mummers Parade follows a parade route on Philadelphia's Broad Street. From time to time, it has moved to Market Street but is currently held back at its original location. While it was once a small parade outdoors, it is now a large parade as well as a ticketed and judged event at the convention center.
Comics continue the traditions of dress and bloomer suits, decorated umbrellas, and live bands to accompany their dance.
Fancies use small floats as they strut in elaborate costumes while live bands perform.
String Bands use unamplified stings, reeds and percussion instruments including banjos, saxophones, accordions, double basses, drums, glockenspiels and violins. The string band groups are now the most elaborate performers of the parade.
Fancy Brigades are the largest category of performers. They only march the southernmost portion of the parade before going to the convention center for ticketed shows and judging. In the late 1970's, it was decided that the costumes worn by these performers were too large, too expensive, too cumbersome and more vulnerable to the weather's elements and so they were moved indoors.
It was fun to reflect on the images that came across our tiny black and white television screen each New Years Day... to remember the sound of glockenspiels playing the parade theme song, and to watch elaborately dressed performers strut down the very same street we had walked along many times while visiting my dad's family. It might have even made me a tiny bit homesick - or at least a bit nostalgic on this, the first day of a new year.
