O to be in Philadelphia on New Year's Day to watch the Mummers parade up Broad Street as they have done for over a century. First come the Fancy Division with their jockeys and floats. Then the Comic division with their satirical parodies skewering anyone in the news. They celebrate King Momus similar to what the Dutch settlers did shooting off their blunderbus guns and welcoming in the New Year. Lastly come the string bands in their costume finery with the saxophones and banjos blending with the glockenspiels in the cold January air. The twenty or so bands come from surrounding neighborhoods whose members are of several generations - fathers, sons and now sisters and daughters - the addition of women has kept them on the street. Each band has a theme and they drill in front of City Hall and vie for prizes, after which they return to their respective neighborhoods where the real parties begin. And if you are lucky they will serenade outside your door. There will be six Bowl Games on New Year's Day and some folks may go "bowling" but this household will be glued to the TV set or on the sidewalk with a cup of hot chocolate watching the Mummers strut - heads bent, arms pumping, two steps forward, one step back - you can do it too. Happy New Year!!
tjs
Next - The All-Purpose Limerick
My wife has many cousins in the Philly area and I've been to many weddings where they always play The Mummers Strut. No one stays seated.
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