It's a wrap - the 103rd Mummer's parade

The balmy weather made for a great 103rd annual Mummer's parade in Philadelphia today.

What a fantastic use of New Year's Day.

After decades of suppression, mummering in Philly revived after the Civil War with fancy-dress marching band parades, a very benign and wholesome redirection from "true mummering" (Newfoundland still practices the previously suppressed form of mummering; check it out).

Unfortunately, this great civic event receives almost no coverage and despite the 100,000+ spectators per year, it remains a weird cultural survival that is among this country's best-kept secrets.