I am a Philadelphia, proud, born & raised! I live in South Philadelphia, "The City of Brotherly Love" and The Home of The Philadelphia Mummers. In my neighborhood, i live on 3rd Street (1 block away from 2nd Street) we have groups called New Year's Associations which are collective groups of my fellow Philadelphians & some who travel from neighboring states like New Jersey & Delaware (men, women & children) who belong to this brotherhood & once a year they gather together in wondrous glitter & sequins costumes  & lots of make up (yes, even the men) to make their one time walk up Broad Street on New Year's Day. This Parade is indigenous to our City & one of our proudest accomplishments.

We even have our very own Mummers Museum:

The Mummers Parade has been going on some say back to the 1800's but the first "official" Parade was on January 1, 1901. The Parade is also a contest of sorts broken down into 4 collective groups:

• Comics
• Fancies
• String Bands (everyone's favorite)
• Fancy Brigades

Each group puts on a new theme each year to compete for the top prizes, First Place & a very handsome monetary prize which always goes right back into the clubhouse for bigger & better costumes & supplies for the next year.

HERE THEY ARE:

Comics

Fancies

String Bands

Fancy Brigade

It is said the Philadelphia Mummers take 2 days off, January 2nd to catch up on 2 or 3 days of no sleep & December 25th, Christmas, so their wives & husbands do not divorce them for sinking every other day of the year into the clubs instead of their homes! lol.

When you get some time do a major engine search:

• The Philadelphia Mummers
• The Mummers Museum
• Goodtimers Comics
• Landi Comics
• Froggy Carr Comics
• Hog Island Fancies
• Golden Sunrise Fancies
• Avalon String Band
• Ferko String Band
• Fralinger String Band
• Irish American String Band
• Polish American String Band
• Quaker City

SORRY TO ANY CLUBS I LEFT OUT!

If you ever have the opportunity to come to Philadelphia to see the Mummers Parade you would not regret it. It is fun filled & a one-of-a-kind Parade you are sure to LOVE!

eBay has some very unique Philadelphia Mummers items for sale often. Some local folks make handmade Mummers dolls in full attire so it feel like you are right at the parade & one of the Mummers is right there in front of you:

Mummers ad's from long ago & are collector's items & a huge part of Philadelphia history:

Go & do an eBay search for The Philadelphia Mummers. There is a whole new search you may not have known about & now do. I am going to go bid on one of those dolls myself now, hope i win one!!!!!