In Newfoundland Christmas is celebrated with wide hospitality and generosity, food and drinks are consumed in a large quantities. Brews of beer are prepared in advance before the Christmas season starts. During the holidays women make lots of cookies and fruit cakes, open jars of preserved moose, jams and vegetables. In a rural areas a cow or a pig is usually slaughtered in order to feed numerous visitors. During the Christmas Day  family host guests, visit relatives, friends and neighbours. 

Mumming is a unique Newfoundland cultural tradition and is an inalienable part of Christmas common strolls. Dressing usually in torn dresses, bettered hats, hip boots and other obsolete or strange materials men try to appear as women and women dress up as men. Mummers also have to cover their faces so that others wouldn’t recognise them. 

In late evening mummers move from one house to another in small groups. They enter houses without knocking or invitation, they behave quite loud, moving fast around the house half-dancing (the mummers walk), frequently mummers bring musical instruments with them so they may start playing music and dance with the hosts or with each other. While making jokes about the family they are trying to speak in a manner that hosts would not guess who are they. 

When households identified who is the Mummer, he should ‘strip’ -  remove his/her mask.  Not to do so is considered as an abuse to the hosts. If the hosts cant guess who is behind the mask they may try to remove it by force. If the person behind the mask was not identified usually he or she should leave without accepting food or drink. Once identified Mummer revile the mask and return to his normal behavior. 

Source of reference: 

The Folklore of World Holidays / Margaret Read MacDonald// Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research ,1991 P.604-605