Lucy Lamp is in honour of Lucy Woodland, a retired teacher and a centenarian. Lucy was born in Grand Bank in 1917 and now resides in St. John’s. Our Lucy Lamp Mummer is using a lamp shade as a head and face covering. One of the disguises that Lucy Woodland used in her younger days was an old lamp shade with openings cut for eyes. It was then secured as a head and face covering with a piece of ribbon or scarf tied under the chin. In Grand Bank the custom of visiting from house to house during the 12 days of Christmas was known as Janneying and a visit by the Janneys. “Be careful the lamp and hold onto the stove,” is a line from The Mummer’s Song (1983) by Simani. The song and video describes the visit by the Mummers to a typical Newfoundland outport home and can be viewed at
http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/community-stories_histoires-de-chez-nous/times-times-times_le-temps-le-temps-le-temps/gallery/the-mummers-song-by-simani/
