![]() ![]() Once granted permission to enter, the mummers, who come equipped with musical instruments-many of them homemade from pots, brooms, bottle caps and sundry other items-proceed to offer entertainment to the household by singing, dancing, telling jokes or just acting the fool, while the residents attempt to guess the identity of each mummer. They announce their arrival by banging loudly on the door and shouting the traditional inquiry of ‘Any mummers ‘llowed in?’ and an invitation to enter the home marks the beginning of the revelry. Mummering, also known as jannying or mumming, is a tradition of house visiting, whereby groups of friends disguise themselves with whatever comes to hand-curtains, lace doilies, mop heads, mismatched footwear, and even nan’s old bras-to pay visits to their neighbors during the Christmas season. 1, 1 p.m.Flamboyant, rambunctious, and decidedly unconventional, the ancient holiday tradition of ‘mummering’ is alive and well on The Rock. Tickets: Free Information: 21 or What: Hummers Parade When: Jan. Tickets: Free Information: 21 or What: ‘2014 New Year’s Day Celebration’ No registration or sign up is required and there are no rules.Īctually, there are two basic unwritten rules: taste doesn’t matter and no one is permitted to work on a float or a costume any earlier than the morning of the event (and, if they do, they must lie and say they didn’t). Trophies will be awarded in categories that have yet to be determined. The hour-long parade will conclude on West Main Street. The parade of spoofs is scheduled to get underway at 1 p.m. 1, floats and groups will assemble in the parking lot of the Environmental Testing Agency in front of the MOT Senior center at the intersection of West Cochran and South Scott streets in Middletown. The parade, which is intended as a spoof of Philadelphia’s Mummers, is a loosely organized event that welcomes everyone to join in the fun. But, in Delaware, it means just one thing – the Hummers Parade.Įvery year on New Year’s Day, Middletown’s Hummers Parade slowly and erratically moves down Main Street. The word ‘hummer’ has a wide array of definitions ranging from oversized vehicles to mimicking songs without using words. and the Camden Sophisticated Sisters at 4 p.m. The entertainment schedule features Steve Pullara & His Cool Beans at 11 a.m., the Ukuladies at 12:30 p.m., ‘Broadway Dreams Foundation: Celebrating Broadway!’ at 2 p.m. There will be balloon sculptures courtesy of Black Cat Balloon Company, face painting, and crafts for everyone until 3:30 p.m. with a balloon artist and a face painter. The Mummers Parade is divided into five divisions: Comics, Wench Brigades, Fancies, String Bands and Fancy Brigades.Īctivity will get underway on Jan. The Mummers Parade has grown in size and stature and currently features approximately 15,000 participants. ![]() ![]() The practice of awarding prizes was initiated in the late 1800s and the first ‘official’ event was held in 1901. Reports of rowdy groups ‘parading’ on New Year’s Day in Philadelphia date back before the revolution. and the Roman Festival of Saturnalia when laborers marched in masks throughout the day. The Mummers tradition dates back to 400 B.C. It looks interesting if you watch it on television, but to truly appreciate the sights and sounds of the Mummers Parade, you need to see it in person. When New Year’s Day arrives in Philly, everything revolves around the Mummers Parade – a festive celebration featuring string bands, comic units and fancy divisions all strutting their stuff on Broad Street. ![]() There are several choices available around the area for New Year’s Day activities, including a pair of very different parades – the Mummers Parade in Philadelphia and the Hummers Parade in Delaware. ![]()
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