In Medieval times, the European nobility would go ‘mumming’ dressed up in elaborate costumes such as dragons and swans. Some believe that the word is derived from the French word ‘mummer,’ it is thought to refer to the act of being silent, or ‘mum’or possibly from the word ‘mommo,’ which meant mask. In later centuries, the holiday tradition of mumming included going silently from house to house in disguise. Once the identity of all the mummers was guessed, they were offered food and drink and merrily wandered on to the next house.
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