I've never heard of this... looks like a great time! (I'd heard of "mummers" before but I thought it was strictly a European thing.)

I've never heard of this... looks like a great time! (I'd heard of "mummers" before but I thought it was strictly a European thing.)

It's something that people from the Philly area tend to think everyone knows about, but they usually don't. I took a class in Mid-Atlantic History in college and we had a whole class discussion about it. Almost everyone in the class who grew up in the tri-state area (Eastern PA, NJ, DE) thought that the Mummers were at least nationally known (including me), but almost known of the students from outside the tri-state area had ever heard of them.

but almost known of the students

oops, almost none

By the way, that hat sounds awesome.

It was a truly awesome hat! And there was another topped with some odd marabou-like down that was so soft that touching it made you feel like your fingers had gone numb. Unfortunately, my grandparents' basement flooded and all was lost. Oh the humanity! The glittery, befeathered humanity.

Growing up in NE Philly, everyone knew at least one Mummer, so you were kind of invested. When we moved out here to the sticks/burbs, everyone knew about it, but wasn't particularly interested in it. I'm probably the only person in my neighborhood watching it. My husband tolerates it, but would probably be happier watching football.

BTW, I would love to take a course in MidAtlantic history. I'm jealous.

Almost everyone in the class who grew up in the tri-state area (Eastern PA, NJ, DE) thought that the Mummers were at least nationally known (including me), but almost known of the students from outside the tri-state area had ever heard of them.

Yeah, I grew up in that area and, until very recently, when I actually started asking around, assumed that everyone knew about the Mummers.

It's something that people from the Philly area tend to think everyone knows about, but they usually don't.

My boyfriend grew up in Philly, and he nodded when I read this aloud. But he also says that he caught it on television up here in Alaska a few years ago, which shocked him.

Former Delaware boy here, who spent his formative years on South street. Thanks for this... the Mummers rock and it's impossible to explain it well down here in NC.

I'm familiar with the English Mummers which go back centuries, and in particular the performance of The Derby Tup, which I remember from growing up in that part of England.

I had no idea there are American Mummers, and they seem very different from the British tradition.

Hey, Jan... do you know why Morris dancers wear bells on their ankles?

So they can annoy the blind as well.

Watch it, Chuck, I used to be a Morris dancer.

What, on purpose?

*drum fill*/*cymbal crash*

Dude, you're fucking killing me.

Morris dancing is great, keep fit for drunks.

This looks nothing like the mummers described in Hardy's Return of the Native. Btw, one of my favorite books.