Mummering is a Christmas-time house-visiting tradition practiced in Newfoundland and Labrador.
The act of mummering actually comes from Rome. From there it became an old Christmas custom from England and Ireland, mummering in a version of its modern form can be traced back in Newfoundland into the 19th century.
It typically involves a group of friends or family who dress in disguise and visit homes within their community or neighboring communities during the twelve days of Christmas.
If the mummers are welcomed into a house, they often do a variety of informal performances that may include dance, music, jokes, or recitations.
The hosts must guess the mummers’ identities before offering them food or drink. They may poke and prod the mummers or ask them questions.
To make this a challenge for the hosts, the mummers may stuff their costumes, cross-dress, or speak while inhaling. Once the mummers have been identified, they remove their disguises, spend some social time with the hosts, and then travel as a group to the next home.
On June 25, 1861, an "Act to make further provisions for the prevention of Nuisances" was introduced in response to the death of Issac Mercer in Bay Roberts, NL. Mercer had been murdered by a group of masked mummers on December 28, 1860. The Bill made it illegal to wear a disguise in public without permission of the local magistrate.