A Christmas tradition
"Any mummers 'lowed in?"
Christmas in Newfoundland means all of the things that Christmas means everywhere else -- presents, good food, visiting loved ones, and taking time to reflect on the year gone by.But Christmas in Newfoundland used to mean much more. In the old days, the 12 Days of Christmas were practically the only days of the year when work stopped. For weeks before the season, pies were cooked, houses were cleaned, boats were repaired, and gifts were bought or made in anticipation for the holidays.Another much-anticipated part of the holidays was a custom that still exists in many parts of the island. If you happen to visit Newfoundland during the Christmas season and a band of masked strangers knock on your door, then by all means let them in. They're called mummers, and they're practicing the old English tradition of visiting house to house in costume and dancing or performing for the hosts.No costume is too outlandish, and the only rule is that the hosts must try to guess who their mysterious entertainers are. If they can't, then they're obliged to offer Christmas sweets and drinks to their guests. If they guess who they are, well, since they've taken the trouble to visit, it would only be polite to offer them something.In the past, mummering wasn't always an innocent bit of fun. Years ago, for example, many mummers carried "swabs," which were codfish bladders blown up like balloons, attached to sticks, and filled with rocks to make them rattle. Passersby were often hit playfully with these homemade wands; sometimes, the hitting was a little less playful. And in 1851, the Newfoundland House of Assembly passed a law forbidding rowdy mummers from parading through the streets of St. John's, the province's capital.Fortunately,mummering rarely results in trouble these days,and everyone joins in on the funof trying to fool your neighbours-- because, as they say,it comes but once a year.
From theWeb
Christmas in Newfoundland means all of the things that Christmas means everywhere else -- presents, good food, visiting loved ones, and taking time to reflect on the year gone by.But Christmas in Newfoundland used to mean much more. In the old days, the 12 Days of Christmas were practically the only days of the year when work stopped. For weeks before the season, pies were cooked, houses were cleaned, boats were repaired, and gifts were bought or made in anticipation for the holidays.Another much-anticipated part of the holidays was a custom that still exists in many parts of the island. If you happen to visit Newfoundland during the Christmas season and a band of masked strangers knock on your door, then by all means let them in. They're called mummers, and they're practicing the old English tradition of visiting house to house in costume and dancing or performing for the hosts.No costume is too outlandish, and the only rule is that the hosts must try to guess who their mysterious entertainers are. If they can't, then they're obliged to offer Christmas sweets and drinks to their guests. If they guess who they are, well, since they've taken the trouble to visit, it would only be polite to offer them something.In the past, mummering wasn't always an innocent bit of fun. Years ago, for example, many mummers carried "swabs," which were codfish bladders blown up like balloons, attached to sticks, and filled with rocks to make them rattle. Passersby were often hit playfully with these homemade wands; sometimes, the hitting was a little less playful. And in 1851, the Newfoundland House of Assembly passed a law forbidding rowdy mummers from parading through the streets of St. John's, the province's capital.Fortunately,mummering rarely results in trouble these days,and everyone joins in on the funof trying to fool your neighbours-- because, as they say,it comes but once a year.
From the
posted by Windrose @ 11:32 AM
