Newfoundland tradition brightens Yarmouth County holiday season
Mummers traditionally wear clothes that don’t fit and try to cover up everything with gloves and hats
An annual Newfoundland tradition that involves a group of silent, costumed characters visiting homes over the holidays is alive and well in Yarmouth County.
“When the mummers show up to someone’s door they ask if they can come in. If the visited (people) can guess who the disguised people are, the host has to offer them a drink and allow them to visit,” says Brigitte Francis, who is familiar with the Mummers tradition.
The mummers troop into the home, playing a mummer song “Any mummers ‘lowed in?” by Simani. They dance around the home swinging hand-in-hand or making themselves comfy as they bring “festive, odd and holiday spirit to the homes.”
Mummers typically visit between Dec. 25 and Jan. 5 (12 days of Christmas).
A main reason people choose to practise the tradition locally is because there are people in Yarmouth from Newfoundland, or some who have been there and know how incredible and unique the Newfoundland culture is. There’s an annual Mummer Festival in that province.
The mummers are similar to the tradition of the Mi-Carême, which is a French Catholic tradition. These traditions are said to remind people of how important community and friendship are and the importance of visiting.
A mummer traditionally wears clothes that don’t fit and tries to cover up everything with gloves and hats, and puts something over their face like doilies, plus bras over their clothes. Mummers are not allowed to talk but can use gestures.
People that are known to the mummers are usually visited, or those who would “understand the concept.”
One local Mummers group in Yarmouth County started out by making visits in Tusket and Wedgeport. A year ago they visited 15 homes and ended their night at the Tusket Brewery. Some people have been taking part over multiple years in what has now become an annual tradition.
For people who have ties to Newfoundland, it reminds them of being home. For others, they're happy to join in on the fun.