LEWISBURG — Extemporaneous. Spontaneous. often outrageous. always unique. It’s almost time for the annual Shanghai Parade to ring in the new year in Lewisburg. Following a tradition that goes back at least 150 years, the New Year’s Day parade is open to all; there’s no advance sign-up necessary. Participants are asked to line up on Lee Street between the United Methodist Church and the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine at 1 p.m. Sunday. Beginning at 2 p.m. the parade will follow Washington Street from Lee to Church Street. Cash prizes — three each in nine separate categories, plus four special awards — will be given out in front of City Hall immediately after the parade. And each entrant who walks in the parade will receive a crisp $2 bill for participating. “The weather’s going to cooperate, and we expect a great turnout,” says parade committee chairperson Dr. Mary Ann Mann. “And this year, there are no bowl games to compete with.” Mann says she knows of several groups of people who plan to participate in the parade either for the first time ever or for the first time in a long time, so surprises will be in store for even the most experienced parade watcher. Unlike the typical parade, the Shanghai confers a unique honor on the parade marshal: he or she — the identity of the honoree is a closely guarded secret — is dubbed the “Super Duper Pooper Scooper” and, accordingly, brings up the rear of the procession rather than leading it. “The Shanghai is very fun, very whimsical,” Mann notes. “People seem to really enjoy it.” – - – according to the West Virginia Encyclopedia — which can be found online at wvencyclopedia.org — the Shanghai originally was a “costume parade emphasizing the frightful … featuring revelers in scary disguise who went about with both candy and switches.” The encyclopedia likens the parade to other midwinter rituals, including mummers’ plays and parades, Mardi Gras and the West Virginia traditions of belsnickling and Fasnacht. For the uninitiated, belsnickling is of German origin and bears a great resemblance to today’s trick-or-treating, with a group of masked people going from house to house and having the residents guess who they are. The belsnickles of yore were often given seasonal treats, such as cider and cake, according to the encyclopedia. While the verb “to shanghai” historically means to force a person to join a ship’s crew — usually by drugging the unfortunate victim — the modern, informal definition might shed some light on the root of the Shanghai Parade’s name. That newer definition focuses on coercion or trickery being used as a method of getting someone to do something he might otherwise not choose to do. according to the folk stories told in Greenbrier County about the early years of the Shanghai Parade, many a neighbor, visitor or spectator was indeed “shanghaied” into participating in the impromptu parade on New Year’s Day. – - – Also scheduled in Lewisburg on New Year’s Day is the 2012 First Day International Festival, described by organizers as a free event promoting world cultural diversity and cultural tolerance. now in its 10th year, the festival will be staged from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday in Greenbrier Hall on the campus of New River Community and Technical College and will feature free entertainment and activities for children. Among the entertainers scheduled to perform is Option 22, a band based in Princeton. Also in the lineup are The First Day Gospel Liberation Choir, a tai chi demonstration by Gus Saldana and a performance by the Greenbrier Girls Academy. Those visiting the festival are invited to purchase a hot drink and food with an international flavor. A silent art auction showcasing work by local artists will cap off the day. — E-mail:
Related posts: