Ring a bell for Chief Tamanend
May 1 is Tamanend Day, and a celebration of the Lenni Lenape chief – who signed a treaty of friendship with William Penn at what is now Penn Treaty Park – is set for Old City.
Tamanend was considered the patron saint of America by the colonists prior to American Independence. In 1777, the Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia, set aside May 1 as a day to honor the chief, and celebrations always included the ringing of bells.
Everyone is encouraged to bring a bell to the 7 pm celebration in Old City. The gathering will take place at the Tamanend statute at the corner of Front and Market streets.
The event is sponsored by The Franklin Fountain, Old City Civic Association, The Penn Treaty Museum, Arch Street Friends (Quaker) Meeting, and Shane Confectionery. Complimentary confections will follow the bell ringing.
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