The Possum Drop is an annual

New Year's Eve In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve, also known as Old Year's Day or Saint Sylvester's Day in many countries, is the evening or the entire day of the last day of the year, on 31 December. The last day of the year is commonly referred to ...

event in which an

opossum Opossums () are members of the marsupial order Didelphimorphia () endemic to the Americas. The largest order of marsupials in the Western Hemisphere, it comprises 93 species in 18 genera. Opossums originated in South America and entered North ...

is lowered at midnight. The first documented case of a possum drop was in 1990 in

Brasstown, North Carolina Brasstown is an unincorporated community located mostly within Clay County, North Carolina, United States, though roughly one third of Brasstown is within the adjacent Cherokee County. Etymology The name, "Brasstown," was given to several historic ...

. The original event has been discontinued, but a version of it is currently held annually in

Tallapoosa, Georgia Tallapoosa is a city in Haralson County, Georgia, Haralson County, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The population was 3,170 at the 2010 census, up from 2,789 at the 2000 census. History The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Tallapoosa as a tow ...

Brasstown Drop

Brasstown's Possum Drop was initially hosted at Clay's Corner, a convenience store owned by Clay and Judy Logan. The event featured the lowering of a live

in a

plexiglass Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) belongs to a group of materials called engineering plastics. It is a transparent thermoplastic. PMMA is also known as acrylic, acrylic glass, as well as by the trade names and brands Crylux, Plexiglas, Acrylite, ...

cage from the store's roof. Despite its name suggesting otherwise, the opossum was not physically dropped; rather, it descended gradually, akin to the descent of a time ball. Following the descent, the opossum was released unharmed. The festivities included a contest with men dressed as women to compete for the title of "Miss Possum

Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

". Additionally, there were performances of

bluegrass music Bluegrass music is a genre of American roots music The term American folk music encompasses numerous music genres, variously known as ''traditional music'', ''traditional folk music'', ''contemporary folk music'', ''vernacular music,'' or ...

, snacks, refreshments, and the opportunity to purchase

souvenir A souvenir (), memento, keepsake, or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memories the owner associates with it. A souvenir can be any object that can be collected or purchased and transported home by the traveler as a m ...

merchandise.Mountain Manager & Associates The Possum Drop started in 1990, featuring a ceramic opossum lowered in a

fish bowl An aquarium (plural: ''aquariums'' or ''aquaria'') is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aqu ...

. In the following year, a live opossum, specifically captured for the occasion, was used. However, ahead of the 2004 Possum Drop, protests from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals led to a modification in practice. Consequently,

roadkill Roadkill is an animal or animals that have been struck and killed by drivers of motor vehicles on highways. Wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVC) have increasingly been the topic of academic research to understand the causes, and how it can be mi ...

was used for the possum drops from 2004 onwards. After the retirement of Clay and Judy Logan, the event moved to nearby Andrews, North Carolina, for the 2018-2019 edition. However, this relocation was met with controversy due to an unfortunate incident during the event. The opossum involved sustained an injury, resulting in a broken leg that required amputation. Subsequently, lawsuits by

PETA Peta or PETA may refer to: Acronym * Pembela Tanah Air, a militia established by the occupying Japanese in Indonesia in 1943 * People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, an American animal rights organization * People Eating Tasty Animals, an ...

and appeals from concerned citizens to state authorities ensued, and the decision was made to stop the Possum Drop. Since then, the event has not been held.

Tallapoosa Drop

In the late 1990s, Tallapoosa town organizers created a New Year's Eve event based on a historical reference to the town given by old settlers, Possum Snout. For this event, they opted to use a taxidermy opossum provided by local career taxidermists Bud and Jackie Jones. Spencer, the taxidermy opossum, was suspended in a wire ball adorned with Christmas lights and positioned at ground level for the majority of the night to facilitate viewing and photography by spectators. At 11:30 pm, he was raised to the top of one of the city's tallest buildings. Then, at midnight, he was slowly lowered to the ground, to symbolize the start of the new year. Spencer's name is a tribute to Ralph L. Spencer, a prominent 19th-century businessman recognized for his contribution to the town's economic growth.RoadsideGeorgia.com http://roadsidegeorgia.com/city/tallapoosa.html

TLC TLC may refer to: Arts and entertainment Television * ''TLC'' (TV series), a 2002 British situational comedy television series that aired on BBC2 * TLC (TV network), formerly the Learning Channel, an American cable TV network ** TLC (Asia), an As ...

filmed the New Year's special of their show ''

Here Comes Honey Boo Boo ''Here Comes Honey Boo Boo'' was an American reality television series that aired on TLC featuring the family of child beauty pageant contestant Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson. The show premiered on August 8, 2012, and ended on August 14, 201 ...

'' at the Possum Drop in Tallapoosa.

Criticism

Possum drops have faced criticism and protest, with notable instances of opposition from organizations such as

. In 2013, they pursued legal action to stop Brasstown's Possum Drop, under the premise that the

North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission is a state government agency created by the North Carolina General Assembly, General Assembly in 1947 to Wildlife management, conserve and sustain North Carolina's fish and wildlife resources through ...

had overstepped its authority in issuing a catch permit for the event. In response to the lawsuit, the organizers opted to use a taxidermy opossum instead.

did not oppose this alternative approach. Jarvis, Craig (December 29, 2014)
‘Possum Drop’ organizer won’t use live opossum this year
''Charlotte Observer''. Retrieved December 31, 2014. The same year, the North Carolina legislature passed a law explicitly granting the commission the authority to issue permits for events like the Possum Drop. Consequently, the Brasstown event was able to resume in 2014. The controversy surrounding the use of live opossums prompted significant public outcry, with thousands of local residents and individuals from across the United States signing petitions in opposition to the event's continuation with live animals. Brasstown received national attention for the 2015 New Year Possum Drop when

filed a motion once more to prevent Clay's Corner from obtaining a capture permit. Logan claimed he had already chosen not to pursue a state permit for that year's drop, citing time constraints.

References

External links

PETA Files Lawsuit to Stop Opossum Drop
{{DEFAULTSORT:Possum Drop, The New Year in the United States Controversies in the United States Animal cruelty incidents Opossums Appalachian culture Clay County, North Carolina Haralson County, Georgia