Parade Tradition Continues

Caitlyn Stroh

 

            A tradition of many American households is to wake up on Thanksgiving morning and watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

On November 27, 2008, millions of Americans will turn their TVs on and tune in to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to watch hundreds of floats, giant balloons, and performances. Not only are millions viewing the parade from a distance, but also thousands of people line up in the early hours of the morning to view the parade on Manhattan Island in New York. 

Macy’s started this custom in the 1920s when Louis Bamberger started the idea of having a parade with marching bands and floats that would take place on 34th street. The original parade was run by the immigrant employees of Macy’s who wanted to celebrate their new American heritage. When the parade premiered in The Miracle on 34th Street, people began to accept the parade as a tradition. The parade has run almost every year since then, with the exception of during WWII due to the rising need for plastic and rubber for the war effort (www.wikipedia.com).

In 1927, the first annually recurring balloon, Felix the Cat, had its debut in the parade. This landmark was followed by Mickey Mouse in 1934 and many other early 20th century cartoons.  Many balloon favorites include the Peanuts gang, Curious George, and Mickey Mouse (3rd version). Balloons are considered to be a main event of the parade, due to the fact that they take up a majority of the parade’s time and money. This year new balloons such as Buzz Lightyear, Bolt, and Smurf will all be introduced (http://www1.macys.com/campaign/parade/parade.jsp).

Floats and performances are also a large part of the parade. The Rockettes are a well-known act that performs during the parade, as well as scenes from many Broadway musical scenes. Features of last year were the musicals The Color Purple and Hairspray.   When it comes to floats, the last-but-not-least, Santa, is by far the favorite for many children and adults. There are so many attractions that the parade appeals to almost everyone.

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