![]() When the Swedes first settled Philadelphia, they brought this tradition with them, gradually extending the party a whole week to New Year's Day, just because they could. 26, called it "Second Christmas," and went back to the celebrating, no harm, no error. ![]() Over the course of time, Saturnalia was usurped by the Christians and renamed "Christmas." (By all biblical signs, Christ was not born anywhere near December.)Īs the Roman empire geared down, the day shifted a bit I guess there may have been some guilt associated with drunken carousing on Baby Jesus' birthday. Upon that day, slaves dressed up like their masters, and the masters dressed up in all manner of fantastic costumes, and they'd parade the streets, visiting friends and neighbors in celebration of the god Saturn and the annual reaping of the harvest. Once again, we're drawn back to the old Roman festival of Saturnalia, and the carnival that surrounded it. They've just sort of drifted a few days over the course of a couple of centuries. Or were they being condescending toward the poor and their traditions? We’ll never know for sure, as there are many stories and historical accounts about mumming and Christmas crackers.Believe it or not, Philadelphia's Mummers have definite historical connection to Christmas. Or perhaps they did and were amused by the entertainment. It seems they weren’t aware or didn’t care that both made fun of the rich and royalty. I think it’s a little amusing that during Victorian times, the wealthy participated in mumming and the Christmas cracker tradition. The crackers are popped at the beginning of dinner, and each guest must wear the enclosed paper crown. Two strips of chemically treated paper react to the friction from pulling on each end of the cracker, which causes a bang. Each end is twisted, and two people pull on each end to open. Today’s crackers are made from paper tubes wrapped with decorative paper and stuffed with simple prizes, a paper crown, and a joke or riddle. The paper crown was added in the 1930s by his sons after taking over the confectionery business and became a mainstay Christmas tradition in England and now becoming more popular in America.Ĭhristmas crackers are traditionally set out on the Christmas table. Initially, the bonbons included a love poem that a man would buy and give to his love interest, but later, jokes and riddles replaced the poems, and a prize replaced the almond. The traditional story is that when he heard the crackle of the fire where he was sitting, he was inspired to add the “crack” to his individually wrapped almond bonbons. Tom Smith, a London confectioner, is credited with the first Christmas cracker. When invited, they would perform a skit and remove their masks when they were identified. Regula Ysewijn writes of the High Tories in her Downton Abbey Christmas Cookbook, “During the Christmas season, it (mumming) called for dressing up in elaborate costumes” so that they were not recognized by those who knew them when they went door-to-door in the village. I believe the relationship between mumming and Christmas crackers began with the inclusion of mumming at the Christmastime Wedding of Edward I. ![]() It was practiced during Samhain, All Hallows Eve, and All Saint’s Day. Mumming also has roots in Saturnalia, a Roman festival celebrating the end of the autumn planting season. Mumming has roots in ancient Egypt but is best recorded in medieval times when the poor wore masks, crowns, and other costumes when putting on skits for entertainment. Mumming is putting on plays or skits either in a theatre or door-to-door.
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