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The
comics were the first of the mummers.
They traveled to homes and performed for food. Often they entered by saying the following
phrase: “Give us whiskey, give us
gin, open the door and let us in.” In
terms of the parade, the comics – often the ones dressed as clowns – are at
the beginning of the parade and they are the largest division between the four. That may easily be because the costumes
are less expensive. |
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Some
of the names that are associated with the comics are: The Chain Gang, The Hardly Ables, the Red
Onions and The Cucumbers. |
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The
Fancy Division of the Mummer’s Parade is actually an offshoot of the
comics. They began to make their
costumes more elaborate. This was the
division that built trains to last a block.
The Fancy Division also has Captains of each individual group. They have pages that carry and support the
length they are allowed to have on their costumes. |
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Some
of the names included in the Fancy Division are: The Bright Star, The Silver Crown, The Morning Star and The
Golden Crown. |
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The
String Bands Division provides the Mummer’s Parade sounds to which everyone
in Philadelphia has grown accustomed.
They consist of many different instruments, minus any brass
instruments. They have definitely
evolved over time. To learn more
check out the String
Bands page. |
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Some
names one might see in the program for String Bands include: The Trilby String Band, The Fralinger
Band, The Aqua String Band and the Duffy String Band. |
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The
Fancy Brigades are the newest member of the Philadelphia Mummer’s
Parade. They became an official offshoot
of the Fancy Division in 1978. These
costumes even outdo the Fancies most of the time. Most years you can find the Fancy Brigades at the end of the
Parade, but this does not bother our fearless competitors because they feel
the TV. lights bring out the sequins and sparkles on their costumes. |
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Some
names you will find in the Fancy Brigade category are: the Saturnailians, the Downtowners, and the
2nd Street Shooters. |
From: http://www.wb17.com/misc/mummers2000/history.htm