Happy New Year everyone!
As suspected, the Mistress had a very enjoyable evening, an excellent dinner, a few stiff ones and was home by 1am. I arose around noon! Of course, the Pork and sauerkraut dinner will be just about ready to come out of the oven. The house smells so good. Of course, you just know, the traditions continue here as I never miss the legendary Mummers Parade, a huge tradition in Philadelphia, and celebrating their 125 year! It's the longest running folk parade in the country, one where you can see blue collar and loads of straight men in full regalia to rival any drag show. It's now also gotten voted the best parade in the US. I have always loved it, as Philadelphia, for a large city, has such a great sense of community...and everyone comes together to enjoy the day long... literally, festivities. The Mummers Parade is an elaborate, annual New Years Day tradition featuring mummers heavily costumed in feathers and sequins, in their categories... fancies, comics, wench brigades and string bands who dance and perform music with elaborate productions. It got its start in European folk customs dating back centuries, and the name Mummers derive their name from the Mummers' play preformed in Philadelphia in the 18th century as part of a wide variety of working-class street celebrations around Christmas. Many of the groups and bands have been in the parade for over 40 and 50 years, with generations of family members in the Mummers, of all ages too...5-6 year old... all the way up to people in their 70-80's. Heck, even President Geroge Washington carried on the official custom on New Years Day calls during the seven years he occupied President's House in Philadelphia. The first official parade was held January 1. 1901. Enjoy the current pictures from the parade and some vintage. Here's to another 125 years!!!
It's been a nice day all told. I was out to fill the bird feeders and saw this...
I have never seen a Robin in January. That must mean something?
Like I said. all told a lovely New Years Day. Excuse me now...the pork is calling.
A Happy New Years to you all!!!!
WE LOVE OUR MUMMERS!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year Mistress!🎆✨🎉🎇
Happy New Year Cleo!!!
DeleteIt wouldn't be New Years without your Mummers and Pork and sauerkraut post!!! Traditions! They certainly didn't yet again disappoint, wind or no wind!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year Maddie.
Shame about the heavy gales...but it sure made for a very memorable and different experience, I dare say for even the better! I enjoyed viewing it.
DeleteThe Mummers... I have only heard of this. I will do a little research. I have been to Philadelphia only once, that was in 2005, to audit and inspect the PDOC unit, there in the Heart of the City. I was there only 24 hours and was called home due to a hurricane brewing in the Gulf.... It was Hurricane Katrina. Maybe I just might get back there one day..
ReplyDeleteOh 24 hours? I hope you get back one day to see and enjoy the experience all the delights of the city one day. It's quite amazing the parade still continues. It's also quite something to see and the feeling of the community is something to feel.
DeleteI go to the Mummers Parade every year to enjoy the crowds and the costumes. Philadelphia isn’t called the City of Brotherly Love for nothing.
ReplyDeleteAfter the parade I sit down to a dinner of pork roast, boiled new potatoes basted in butter and parsley, heirloom carrots, a salad of pickled red cabbage, spinach and lettuce with vinaigrette, and cherry cheese strudel for dessert.:)
An Old Philadelphian
It's great to read about your time. I can't imagine New Years Day without the parade. I think there was only three years in its long history that is didn't happen. I think Philly is one of the best cities in the country! And nice to read about your feast too. You have me getting hungry again. I hope you enjoyed your meal. Sounds a nice tradition.
DeleteWhen I loved in Philadelphia briefly, I saw this this parade, and it was fabulous henny!!!!! Unlike the Macys Thanksgiving Day bullshit, this one does not need the branding, the big names and the floats! Its community coming together for one hell of a good time and community spirit. Happy New year Mistress!
ReplyDeleteWhen you think of this, it's quite amazing it is still continuing. I live right near the route for years. I can't imagine not hearing "Oh Dem' Golden Slippers" not playing on New Year Day by the string bands.
ReplyDeleteHope your dinner was amazing...sounds yummy!
I would love to see this one year! Quite amazing that this is a ALL DAY into the evening event!!! Happy New Year Mistress! Thank you so much for this post and hope you have an amazing new year.
ReplyDeleteAnd the fancy brigades used to not come on till 7:00 p.m. till 10:00 p.m.. I'm not quite sure why they don't televise that anymore.
DeleteThank you for keeping your New Years Day post going! I miss this parade more than anything since I moved years ago to Amsterdam.
ReplyDeleteI would love to have seen the Mummers Parade. Not much chance I’ll be getting to Philly in winter. Such a shame.
ReplyDeleteThe pork is calling, huh? No comment needed.
I have to admit it does blow my mind as much as you two get around, no pun intended, that you two have never been to Philadelphia for an extended time.
DeleteI really don’t know how that happened, me not getting to Philadelphia, except for the fact that I have some family there I’d feel obligated to see and, well, I don’t want to!
DeleteHappy New Years to you, I wish you beauty, creativity, joy, health, wealth and countless fulfilled wishes. We SURE don't have anything like the Mummers here. Talk about a plumed spectacle!
ReplyDeleteIf you like the Mummer's Parade, you must read Thomas Muldoon's Smoking in Bathrooms! Hilarious book. It's also nice to see the Mummers continue. I actually streamed it here. I saw some this year...looked to be a real crowd pleaser.
ReplyDeleteIt looks fabulous! And it's hard to impress a New Orleanian when it comes to costumes.:) I need to see that someday. Philadelphia is sure a swell city and one of the friendliness I have visited.
ReplyDeleteSo nice to see you pop up Miss Bouffant! I have to admit when people from New Orleans do come here they're shocked and how well the parade is and colorful.
DeleteHere's to wishing you a wonderful New Year full of laughter, adventure, and good times! Cheers and Best wishes to you and yours.
ReplyDeleteI love the mummers too. Have watched on the telly for years How great to see straight men in lame, sequins and plumes! One of the few parades where you can just sense a great amount of community love and togetherness.
It really is quite the spectacle!
DeleteGreat spread on the Mummers! Happy New Year, MM! Rade
ReplyDeleteThe Mummers rock! And I saw a robin about 3 weeks ago and thought WTF.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking these must be Robins that stayed behind and lollygagged before migragting. Birds that don't leave in time will generally risk it and stay behind.Robins do not tolerate the cold very well though.
DeleteI hope the New Year Robin is a good omen!
ReplyDeleteOur robins are an essential part of Christmas - they are on lots of Christmas cards. They also sing at night during the dark nights of winter. We have a robin visit our bird feeder most days.
ReplyDeleteOur robins here in London are a permanent fixture, too - always popping down into the garden even in the depths of winter, looking for tiny morsels among the fallen leaves and plant pots. Nothing like the US "robin", that's actually a migratory thrush, whereas ours is more closely related to flycatchers. Jx
DeleteI hope you answered the port in time. Happy 2026.
ReplyDeleteLes Mummers.
ReplyDeleteQuelle belle tradition dans le cité historique de Philadelphie !
Comme l’Escalade à Genève et la Carnaval de Nice, avec leurs costumes et leur ambiance festive :)
-Beau Mec à Deauville
I had a Bouvier like sighting yesterday. I'm assuming he's the one that dug the hole in the backyard that soon filled with water when it rained.
ReplyDeleteI wondered how you been faring out there. A friend of mine had a huge mudslide come right through the back of her house. She's pretty sure the house is going to be a total loss.
DeleteI was today’s years old when I learned of a Mummers Parade, but what a great way to kick off the new year. I thought Pork and Sauerkraut to be an interesting combination, until I looked up the recipe, found it to be a new year’s tradition. Interesting. Happiest of New Years, my friend.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't imagine a New Year's Day Shirley without the numbers parade and a pork and sauerkraut dinner. And boy was it yummy. Happy New Year back to you honey.
DeleteI always love the photos of the Mummers; so much glitz and glam and tacky and fun!!
ReplyDeleteAnd what's funny is ever since I knew Anne Marie, a year doesn't go by that I watched the Mummers Parade that it also doesn't remind me of her now. She loved that parade.
DeleteWow!
ReplyDeleteIt never fails to impress - especially the fact it's basically majority straight blokes in drag! Jx
ReplyDeleteAnd not only straight blokes and a lot of blue collar workers but also Philly has a big Irish and Italian community, and we know that those nationalities can be very masculine. Not to mention rowdy.
DeleteRowdy = "drunk", mainly 🤣 Jx
DeleteI love a good parade! But they don't seem to "do" them like the old days.
ReplyDeleteBut I can rely on you Phillies to bring out yer frillies! Here's to another good year!
Happy New Year Dinah! This is probably one parade then I suspect you'd love.
DeleteFirst off...HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
ReplyDeleteI was so glad you did this post. You make the Mummers part of my tradition now every year. I can always look forward to something of interests here.
Happy New Year Mistress!
ReplyDeleteThose costumes are amazeballs. We had a night time Mummers parade in Maryland every year on the Saturday before Halloween. It was not cool like your parade. It had old man Masons (I think they were Masons) wearing funny hats and driving around in little cars, thinking they were the greatest thing ever. They were not. We went to the parade when our kids were in band. They marched past us tooting their horns and then we went happily home.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
This morning's news about the attacks on Venezuela and the kidnap of the country's president and his wife show that the rule of law no longer applies in the US. We've always known that Donald Duck's support of Putrid was morally wrong; now it appears the Duck has followed, and outdone, his master's example.
ReplyDeleteI will say it....I almost hope these countries come together and just levels DC. I have no idea why NO ONE will retaliate against him. If this continues, he will not stop, and this world will be sorry. I don't get why no one is trying to take him out!?!?!? I have never wanted someone more dead in my life.
DeleteI worry about what will happen to all the good Americans who outnumber the bad by a huge percentage. The bastards of Project 2025 are ensconced in the Goldish House and that project is obscene; they hate anyone who is not white, an evangelical Christian, straight and male. Stay strong.
DeleteIt's easy to see why Philly's Mummers Parade has been so popular for 125 years -- so colourful! It must be exciting to see it in person and at least it wasn't pouring rain like on the Rose Bowl Parade. Happy New Year, Maddie!
ReplyDeleteYAY!!!!!! I always look forward to you New Year Day post too. Happy New Year Mistress!
ReplyDeleteThat is a fantastic Parade, no wonder it's lasted 125 Years!
ReplyDelete