In some parts of the country, college football is the New Year's day tradition. In others it's the NHL's winter classic... but in Philadelphia it's undoubtedly the Mummers parade. This weekend will mark the 111th Mummers Day parade as the String bands, Fancy Brigades, Comics & fancies march down Broad street in celebration of the new year.
↵The early roots of the Mummers Parade can be traced back to the tradition of "Mummer's Play" in England, which were smallish, carnival style seasonal plays. Colonial era Philadelphians began dressing in carnival style clothes and going door to door to put on mini shows making fun of England's King George. This seemed to combine with the old Swedish tradition of "second Christmas" to form the roots of what we now know as the Mummers Day Parade.
↵Amazingly enough, Women were actually not allowed in the parade until the 1970s.
↵The first official Mummers parade was in 1901, the longest surviving string band is Trilby, while the Ferko string band is the most successful having not missed a parade since 1923 and finishing in the top 5 82 out of 88 parades.
↵The parade will follow its traditional route north on Broad Street, with the big party centering around 2nd and Mifflin streets.
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