Day 1, 2012

Day 1
New Year’s Day 2012 In Philly also marks the 111^th anniversary of the Mummer’s Day Parade. I took this photo of a Mummer and his sons as they exited the parade route. 


Mummers are costumed entertainers welcoming in the New Year. Some of the earliest mummers date back to early Egypt, pagan Rome and Greece, England, Germany, and France.   Some say the tradition of Mummery began in Philadelphia as early as the 17^th century, but the city-sponsored parade didn’t begin until Jan. 1, 1901.


Growing up, I had nothing but disdain for the Mummers because until 1964 Blacks were banned from participating and many of the clubs appeared in blackface. They just looked like a bunch of drunken racists dressed in outlandish costumes, playing music of which I had no interest and tying up traffic along major Center City arteries.   My grandmother, Nina, would ask me to sit with her on New Year’s Day and watch the string band competition.  I usually did so begrudgingly.
The last few years, the Mummers have struggled to maintain funding for their annual strut down Broad St. Private donors and city officials partnered with the mummers to address the budget shortfall and the mummers haven’t missed a beat.
Now that I’m older, my dislike for the Mummers has begun to wane.   It’s simply not my cup of tea, but for many families in the region it’s part of their family’s legacy and much more than a parade or a late night party on 2 Street.  In fact, in this respect it’s not unlike the annual Odunde Festival.  


Odunde is one of the oldest and largest street festivals in the country, celebrates the West African New Year and draws folks from Philly, NYC, Delaware and D.C.  It’s held the second Sunday of June along South St. and Grays Ferry Avenue.  The festival route is a mix of gentrified brownstones, million dollar condos and a historically African American neighborhood. For me, Odunde is the unofficial kick-off of the summer season and an opportunity to reconnect with old friends.
Although Odunde welcomes everyone, the vibe is definitely one which celebrates Black folks, and I guess, I just never felt like I’d feel welcome at the Mummer’s Day Parade, but that may only be my assumption, since I’ve never had the inclination to check it out in person.  I can and do appreciate its rich tradition.