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Originally Posted by phillyspruce
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?
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The actual origin of the name Mummers is very much in dispute. Most of us hold the belief that the word comes from the former Egpytian King Momus. He liked to party. There are other fables about how the name came about.
It was very common for Irish and Polish immigrants to shoot off their guns at midnight. On New Year's Day these same men, some in drag, would go door to door singing ditties. In return they would receive a cup of soup and a shot of whiskey. These men, called Shooters, were the forerunners of today's Mummers. On the Sunday before New Year's, it is common for the bands to march down Two Street. They stop at every clubhouse and play music. Many of us still have a large pot of Pepper Pot soup to greet them with.
Mummers are distinctly Philadelphians. Two string bands are located in New Jersey, one in Bucks County, and a couple of Comic clubs are from outside the city limits.