St. John's, NL (20/12/09) - Mummers take to the streets to play music, dance a jig and and reclaim a dying East Coast tradition. Christmas merrymakers disguise themselves with old clothes and cover their faces with scarves, doilies, masks or pillow sheets and go from house to house, mainly in out port communities, typically during the twelve nights of Christmas.



This day was so much fun for me! Just getting home for Christmas and enjoying the end of semester/Christmas celebrations, this Sunday morning almost didn't happen. A month or more in advance as soon as I heard this was taking place, I tried to plan a gathering where friends and I got together to celebrate with rum and finish up with a huge jigs dinner. Well, celebrations happened the night before and only two of us pushed through and made it the next day.

"Yes b'y, I'se some glad I dressed in me long johns and vamps, hauled a ski-mask over me head and armed meself witta camera dat drizzly ole mornin...."

I only wish most people still talked like this, it warms my soul. After a day full of tradition, recovery, warmth, strangers smiles and joy on the faces of elderly men and women who haven't seen the likes of this in a dogs ages, I was in complete happiness. There's nothing like being home for the holidays.