Me and the Mummers
Dec 29th, 2007 at 12:05 pm by Susie
I have a love-hate relationship with the Mummers parade.
No, let me rephrase that: I hate the Mummers parade. It’s a local drinking holiday, and I have too many childhood memories of standing in the bitter cold, watching the drunken adults laughing and talking too loud and asking again and again, “Can we go home now? Please?”
When I got older, I tried to like them - after all, the parade is a Philadelphia institution. But the first time a drunken spectator threw up on my shoes, well, that was it.
Plus, I have an ADD problem with spectacle. I simply get overwhelmed when there’s too much going on (I cried at the circus, too). It’s all too much.
But thanks to my new location, I may have a doable alternative. It seems that after the parade is over, the local Polish-American String Band does a brief performance through the neighborhood. So I’m going to give it another shot.
My dad took me to the Mummer’s Parade back in 58 or 59. Ghawd how it sucked. I tried for years to watch it on tv. It sucked even worse. Thank whatever that I now live 3000 miles from the Mummer’s Parade.
lighten up francis!
as a rule I dislike parades but,
mummers RULES!
if not the parade–which is a gem, then the scene as the local crews march down 2 street afterwards with their sound trucks and their pride. this is like mardi gras, totally homegrown, unregulated, a real blue-collar holiday.
you cannot find it anything like it in much of the US.
susie, come down 2 street next year if you like the parade in your nabe.
Mummers I don’t get it…it seems to be a group of bigoted persons that abuse the city for a day and cost the city way to much money. The city needs to pull all funding and let them fund themselves…I have heard that the Mummers don’t stand for a whloe lot other than racism, bigotry and just basic discrimination “whether it be color, religion or gay”…if you call that a blue collar holiday that is an insult to all blue collar people. The litter they generate, the public rudeness and some of the hateful comments I have heard while walking through the crowd during this event disgust me. This is an event that is that does a great job of masking their bigotry in bright colored costumes to take others in…this is not Philadelphia and I think Philadelphia deserves better than this. Also, don’t give blue collars persons a bad rap to hide your agenda.
Jim, I couldn’t have put it better myself….a bunch of redneck cowtippers dressup like they got hit by a Liberace bomb…and some of the “acts” wear blackface. It’s a stupid tradition that needs to go the way of the dodo bird. I HATE the Mummers.
Wow folks lighten up! It’s the Mummers for Pete sake. Like many people in society today, you’re taking yourselves WAY too seriously. I enjoy watching the Mummer’s String Bands because it does take skill and hours and hours of dedication to learn the performance and make those costumes. Leave the Mummer’s alone and try identify something important to get upset about like the rampant corruption in Philadelphia politics.
The Mummers haven’t worn blackface in at least 20 years.
Response…corruption the Mummers contribute to the corruption they are a major political force…and the money they cost the city on and on. Skill “take a look around the world or maybe read a book” it is in on a High School level of talent, not that that is a bad thing but, really take a closer look it is a High School band & a two step…it does not take much talent or skill. The Mummers and their supporters need to start funding themselves & with all the crime in the city & not to suck “expect” up so many resources for their & their supporters big day of Redneck Yahoo behavior. What other group of people would be allowed abusive behavior, over the top public drunkeness “Broad Street lined with broken beer bottles”…atleast use plastic people & try to attempt to use a trash can…oh I’s sorry they are the Mummers & the yahoo supporters who line the street & are one of the biggest problem that mirror Philadelphia’s lack of pride & self esteem…they just continue to litter & tear down their neighborhoods & blame everyone else for the short comings of the city & expect everyone else to clean up after them. The Mummers & their likes need to go & it is time for Philadelphia to become the city it should be…not a group of persons bent on holding the city back from being a civilized, clean, responsible major city. I have never been exposed to such a large group of persons that have such a lack of pride or sense of history as the natives of Philadelphia…what gives with you folks? Why are you bent on dragging the city down? Why no respect for what Philadelphia stands for I mean…Independence Hall…HELLO & you say it’s just the Mummers…that is Philadelphia’s answer to everything as the CRIME grows, the lack of education, the LITTER “just plain lazy” & the lack of pride here. You people just don’t get & don’t even try to get it.
Sounds like you just described the NY St. Patrick’s Day parade, Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Carnivale in Rio and Guavaween in Tampa - just to name a few. What do you expect? They’re drinking celebrations. I don’t drink, this stuff doesn’t appeal to me, either. But don’t make it specific to Philadelphia - it’s about DRINKING. Put any large group of people together and make drinking the focus, and you’ll get pretty much the same results.
As to the cost - it’s a tourist attraction. The City makes money on the deal.
Well New Orleans get real Mardi Gras has not been anything for atleast 30 years other than trashy spring break, NYC St Pats Day…been there for that and may other parades & NY Police do not overlook the crap that happens here…Philly will never be or even close to the civility of NYC…Philly could never survive what New Yorkers survived with the class, commitment & sense of pride & commmunity that NYC has, Tampa ah…aka Redneck USA is that what Philly is striving for well you go for it…and as for being a tourist attraction well, yes South Philadelphians, Fishtown, Northern Liberties & Kensington believe that they are unto themselves…yes I guess they are tourist because that act like they ain’t never been to the big city. These neighborhoods act is if they are there own city or country…I have to laugh at the tourist comment due to I know many from the surrounding Philadelphia neighborhoods that act as if the are seperate from this city…I have traveled & lived in many other cities for many years…not a kid here & Philly is one of the top ten cities that has no sense of pride…oh yes your right I should not pick at the Mummers parade due to this is regular behavior for Philadelphians…the litter problem alone is in the top ten worst US cities. Philadelphia has a long way to go…I came here for work & the money they offered me but, I will move on as many other productive new citizens will. I know I do my part to volunteer, be polite, keep my neighborhood & home clean and do my best to not let the natives of Philly bring me down to their level. I feel sad that a city with such potential behaves so badly all year round…maybe the city needs to make a resolution to better themselves & not have everyday be a Mummer Day.