Defiant Mummers prop by South Philly despite cancellation of parade

Numerous costume artists have taken to the streets of their south of Philadelphia for a New Year celebration of the Mummers tradition, far from the usual parade route and despite the official cancellation of the annual event due to the pandemic.

Participants in brightly colored costumes, some of which were painted with faces, challenged a ban on large gatherings and paraded Friday in Second Street, following trucks blaring string orchestras or popular music.

Some wore masks, but many did not. Oothers pulled up a pair of ‘South Philly Still Struts’ sweatshirts with them. WPVI-TV reported that other groups of Mummers marched through other parts of South Philadelphia.

Mayor Jim Kenney announced in July that the city would not grant permits for planned outdoor events with more than 50 people, and would effectively cancel the major annual parade and other events as officials struggled to curb the spread of the virus. Some Mummers leaders and organizations have also asked members to stay home.

City spokeswoman Lauren Cox said there were no major problems Friday, but said it was very worrying to see photos of many participants without masks, given the severity of this current wave of pandemics.

“Anyone who has been in or near large crowds today should be tested five to seven days after the activity, stay away from others for 10 days and monitor the symptoms for 14 days,” she said.

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The Philadelphia Inquirer recently reported that two previous attempts in the parade’s 119-year history to ward it off – in 1919 due to the flu pandemic and in 1934 due to the Great Depression – did not go well. In both cases, Mummers took to the streets to celebrate.

The regular celebration, watched by thousands every year, features string orchestras, comic brigades, elaborate rafts and lots of feathers and sequins, but it has also attracted persistent criticism for its long history of racist black-level display and other inappropriate or offensive behavior by some participants.

After last year’s parade, Kenney threatened to end it if the organizers of the parade did not clear their case.

Although online supporters of a celebration labeled it Friday, it was a protest against Kenney’s decision – and seeing signs that were critical of the mayor – some said they were simply participating in a very local celebration. This was the opinion expressed by JP Pasterino (39) and chatted with family members as marchers from various groups presented in Second Street.

“This is our neighborhood, this is a celebration. It’s more for us than for the people, so we’re still going to show up, we’re going as far as possible, and doing what we do,” said Pasterino, who lives in the south of New Jersey lives but returns to the city to celebrate with his cousins.

“It’s a family day, it’s not just a party,” he said. “We all came down, we go to each other’s houses and we celebrate. You can not live in fear.”

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“Two Street”, where many clubs are headquartered, is home to a traditional reception celebration after the Broad Street event that lasts until late at night.

Kristen Boone 36, said it was rather the feel of Friday’s event.

“It’s more like a neighborhood thing when it comes down Second Street,” Boone says as he sits on a hill and watches the marchers as string band music echoes from a nearby truck. Recognizing that the traditional celebration after this year’s parade would not be a good idea, she was pleased to see the local tradition continue.

“It used to be like going from door to door, seeing that it’s so cool,” she said.

The Mummers Parade, which is believed to be the country’s oldest folk festival, stems from a mixture of immigrant traditions, some of which date from the 1640s, called ‘mummer’, probably from the German word for ‘mask’. It mixes the immigrant traditions of the Scandinavians who welcomed the new year with gunfire, the English and Welsh who entertained with masquerade plays, and the Germans are attributed to the fact that they introduced Santa to their new environment.

Black residents who arrived after the Civil War added the signature along with ‘Oh! Dem Golden Slippers’, the parade’s theme song. The parade became an official city-sponsored event in 1901.

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The traditional spectacle now includes competition in four sections: comics, the satirists; Fancy’s, with the most flashy outfits; Fancy Brigades, with choreographed theatrical works; and String Bands, the dancing musicians.

After the parade, the spectacle traditionally moves indoors for a show at the Pennsylvania Convention Center – and even then it’s not over yet. After the formal program, Mummers and their fans traditionally gather in South Philadelphia for a celebration that lasts late into the night.