Edwina Guckian and members of Sowing the Seed project feature in the December 2021 issue of National Geographic.
For at least 400 years during Christmas season, Irish mummers have dressed in straw outfits while going house-to-house captivating residents with their plays, rhymes, singing, dancing, and music. In the mid-1900s, this custom nearly died out, partly due to fractures in Irish society. Now, however, mumming is resurgent.
This is all thanks to several mumming clubs in Ireland that perform shows in the lead-up to Christmas. One huge project was started seven years ago in County Leitrim by local artist Edwina Guckian. Straw is harvested from local farms, handwoven into masks and dresses, and donned by more than 300 young mummers who perform in groups outside homes throughout December. The Leitrim event culminates with the costumes being burned in a festive bonfire.
