In a prior, post-Philadelphia post, I shared some of my hometown icons with you–cheesesteaks (well, actually chickensteaks, but you get the idea) and TastyKakes.

Today we salute another Philly favorite–the Mummers. For those who don’t know, “Mummers” comes from a Middle English word that translates as “one of a group of masked performers in folk play or mime.”

The Philadelphia Mummers are a musical group who dress up in colorful costumes and play raucous music at the annual New Year’s Day parade and at other events throughout the year. And although they’re usually men of modest means, they also raise money for numerous charities along the way. Here’s a more complete definition from www.answers.com:

“Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, has its own tradition of mummers marching on New Year’s Day. About 15,000 mummers perform in the parade each year. They are organized into four distinct types of troups: Comics, Fancies, String Bands, and Fancy Brigades. All dress in elaborate costumes. There is a Mummers Museum dedicated to the history of Philadelphia Mummers.”

We were lucky enough to have five Mummers perform at one of our Dames events. They made merry with the crowd, dancing with the pretty girls and playing pranks on the few men in attendance.

Here’s my favorite–Frankenstein Mummer–who was so scary he drove me to become a two-fisted drinker. Smile.