thanks so much for the info! from an outsider's perspective it's all very elusive and mysterious. then again, i'm a conspiracy theorist.

really, thank you so much for those answers. it's fun to learn from people who actually know what they're talking about.

what about how it started? the idea of a group of men deciding one day to put on costumes and dance and perform - and then have many more groups branch off from there - is again something that i'm curious about.

and am i right? it's a philly thing, right? or are there mummers elsewhere, too?