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Tag: New Year’s Day

  • Last-Minute Travel Deals for New Year’s Eve Available

    Last-minute travel deals for New Year’s Eve or after-Christmas visits are available for travelers who are willing to do things a bit differently.

    Consumer Reports offers some tried and true tips for those seeking those last-minute travel deals.

    Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday are typically the least expensive days to fly. Flexible travelers typically score the best last-minute travel deals.

    The Travel Channel reports that traveling on a holiday–for example, New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day–often results in last-minute travel deals of up to 50 percent off the price of flights.

    Flying in or out of an alternative airport can often result in big savings on airfare. Again, flexibility is key when scoring last-minute travel deals. If you’re willing to drive a few extra miles to catch that fly, those miles can translate into big savings. Be sure to check multiple airports when looking for flights.

    Consumer Reports writes, “Check prices (on flights) at 3 p.m. on a Tuesday; that’s when the greatest number of cheap seats might be available. But bargains can appear at any time, so keep searching and set up alerts that will send you an e-mail or text message when prices on your route drop.”

    In a recent survey conducted by Consumer Reports, only 28 percent of travelers haggled with hotels for a lower rate or an upgrade. Of that 28 percent, however, 78 percent scored that upgrade or lower nightly rate. Don’t be afraid to haggle when seeking those last-minute travel deals.

    Are you looking for a few days away now that Christmas is over? Where might you fly off to when scoring your last-minute travel deals?

  • Mummers Parade 2014: Philly’s New Year’s Day Celebration

    The world renowned Philadelphia Mummers Parade kicks off today,  New Year’s Day.  The procession will start at 10 a.m from Broad Street to Washington Avenue and lasts a whole day. Just what makes this day such a special day? There are more than 10,000 fans from both near and far that come to witness the colorful parade.  Women  with mustaches and beards and men dressed in dresses and makeup, feathers, confetti, boas and sequins all combine to make an amazing spectacle.

    What is the Mummers Parade

    Well, this event dates back to the mid 17 century and is believed to be the oldest folk festival in the United States. The parade is an infusion of  Swedish, Finnish, Irish, English, German, and African heritage. The Parade took its name from the Mummers Plays (also known as mumming). These are seasonal folk plays performed by groups of actors called mummers originally from the British Isles.

    What to expect

    There are four mummer categories: Comics, Fancies, Fancy brigades and String bands. The participants normally spend months to prepare the movable sceneries and elaborate costumes in order to produce the adorable fan experience in form of music, satire, and theatrics. Each of the categories may consist of between a few dozen to a few hundred people called mummers. The mummers are mostly people from the neighborhood who want to give their fans an unforgettable New Year thrill and continue the community tradition.

    The legendary American tradition normally starts with comics, lampooning pop culture and hot political issues. What follows are the Comic Wench brigades of men dressed in bloomers and hats, followed by the stylish Fancies with feathered, sequin-studded costumes.  The string bands follow next with live musical performances and intricate choreography.

    How it goes

    Different clubs stop to make a performance as they make their way through the carnival, each depicting a different theme.  The themes can vary; from current political affairs to ridiculous or satirical depiction. Some clubs, however, may have an ongoing theme that stays the same each year.

    If you happen to be in Philly for New Year’s Day don’t miss the parade.

    See Last Years Mummers Parade 2013

    Image via Wikipedia