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Mumming and Masquerade
October 8, 2012
— Halloween, Irish, Masquerade, Mummers, Straw boys
The traditions that exist around costumed rituals abound. Mumming may be from the Irish, may be from the Celtic, but now is interpreted by many modern Brits to honor an ancient tradition. The costumes are significant both in the way they change and in the similarities to ancient customs. Straw boys represent good luck, and are sent to visit newly married couples. There are specific plays and characters for Christmas and Halloween in modern mumming that are uninterrupted traditions from ancient history.
Today people have avatars, play games as super heroes, and give themselves any title they please in their on line lives. I think it is interesting that there are so many groups passionate to preserve the costuming and cultures from history, from Civil War reenactments to the merry mummers of the British Isles, to Helldorado Days in Tombstone, AZ. The tradition of mime is related to the mummers. The costume tells much of the story, just as it does in many Naive American dances. Will you dress up for the end of October? Will you do anything special to honor the dead? It is the perfect time.
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Well, being an American, of course, I trick or treated as a child. It’s still a favorite holiday of mine. As I’m now disabled and am pretty much housebound, I am a sometime gamer and a community-oriented one at that. My one and only game is Runescape, which is based somewhere in England, but has players from around the world. I’ve played the game for close to 7 years now, and they always start celebrating All Hallow’s Eve around October 1st. We’ve already started. The great thing about this game, is that it’s pretty much like Halloween year round anyway, but they always cook up something pretty fun.
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I like the way people can make new tribes, traditions, and even personas via the internet. The game platform that celebrates together probably stays together too. Thanks Viola, for your perspective.
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The English Cotswold village I grew up in has a tradition of mummers … the script is passed down orally, never written … and the costumes are creatively made of newspaper! Performances are done on the village High Street every Boxing Day (day after Christmas). I always felt more of an onlooker since my family does not originate there. But you’re right that we each in our own way can benefit from honoring our ancestors somehow, and feeling that we belong. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gK025XIpA8A
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Sara
October 10, 2012
Those guys are very cool, Sara. I like the newspaper costumes a lot…feel I may need to make one.
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