Mummers Voted Top Holiday Parade in the Country
Our slovenly but beloved New Year’s Day bacchanal ranked first in USA Today’s Readers’ Choice poll.
Photo courtesy of VisitPhilly.
Beating out festive juggernauts like the Reston, Virginia, Holiday Parade and an illuminated boat show sponsored by a Florida casino, Philadelphia’s famed (and often controversial) Mummers Parade was voted the best holiday parade that this country has to offer – believe it or not.
That’s right, the readers of USA Today would rather party with our wenches in Golden Slippers than witness “America’s Thanksgiving Parade” in Detroit, which took second place among the random-as-hell top 10. The Motor City has been doing Thanksgiving the same way since 1924, but Philly’s Mummers have been strutting down Broad Street with parasols since 1901.
“The Mummers Parade, one of the longest running traditions in the nation, has roots dating back to the 1800s as a celebration of the New Year in Philly. The colorful procession along Broad Street features performances by comics, string bands and fancy brigades in their spectacular costumes,” USA Today wrote.
Say what you will about the Mummers – and they are often maligned – but that parade is uniquely Philadelphian, and it’s nice to see them getting a little national shine. All without mentioning public urination, to boot!
