New Years Day

Well it looks like I will be able to get my pictures off my phone now, so I'll be using that instead of my digital camera.

I've been in Philly two years and this is my third New Years, but the first year I actually made it to the parade. Wow, what an experience! It is the strangest concept. Mummers tradition dates back to 400 BC and the Roman Festival of Saturnalias where Latin laborers marched in masks throughout the day of satire and gift exchange. This included Celtic variations of “trick-or-treat” and Druidic noise-making to drive away demons for the new year. Reports of rowdy groups “parading” on New Years day in Philadelphia date back before the revolution. Prizes were offered by merchants in the late 1800’s. January 1, 1901 was the first “official” parade offered about $1,725 in prize money from the city. More history here http://www.phila.gov/recreation/mummers/Mummers_History.html

I was almost abducted by one of them! There were so many of them and it was the livliest and strangest parade I think I've been to. The music was great, people were dancing in the street, and luckily the cold weather kept out the riff raff so I got a good view of the whole thing! They were even selling hand warmers. I hadn't seen those since Nodak!