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Show Mummers' Parade Each New Year The Mummers' parade on New Year's Eve is to Philadelphia what the Mardi Gras It to New Orleant. The earliest settlers In the vicinity vicin-ity of present-day Philadelphia were English and Swedes. The English cherished the traditional Mummer play "St. George and the Dragon," while the Swedes were fond of masquerading mas-querading Informally on New Year't Eve. The two customs had merged long before the Revolution and it was customary even among the Quakers to extend hospitality to the masqueraders or give them a dole for refreshments. After the Revolution, George Washington replaced St. George as the central figure of the festivities which continued along the path of spontaneity until 1888 when the parade pa-rade was sponsored by the Silver Crown New Year't association. The municipal administration officially offi-cially recognized the parade in 1901, and representative citizenry began turning out to watch and participate partici-pate in the festivities. |