Macy’s thanksgiving day parade
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
The holiday season has always been a special time for me. The leaves are changing, the air begins to feel crisp, and while it is frigid, I somehow feel a sense of warmth in my soul that just doesn’t seem to stay year-round. If you’re like me in that way, this time of year is something to cherish even more because of that feeling. With Thanksgiving practically here, I would like to share some of my holiday memories in regards to the iconic Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, as well as some history about the parade that so many of us have come to incorporate into our Thanksgiving traditions.
Several years back, the night before Thanksgiving, I would make the trek home, driving four hours from my tiny college town in Northern Indiana, to my parent’s home in Southern Indiana. It was usually fairly chilly out at this time of year, so I would turn up the heater full-blast, and listen to my Christmas playlist all the way home, passing cornfields and cows with not much else in-between. After a day filled with classes, packing, and traveling I would arrive late and turn in for bed, with my family usually already asleep themselves. It was almost Thanksgiving Day, and we needed to save our energy for the hours ahead of us!
As the sun rose early in the morning, I would sneak out of bed, and creep out into the kitchen. No one was awake yet, and it was the perfect time for me to begin cleaning and prepping the kitchen for the afternoon’s holiday festivities. While organizing the ingredients and picking up around the kitchen, I would switch the television on watching news stories and holiday commercials, until it was time for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade to air.
While many things have changed throughout the years, in regards to family traditions and navigating the holidays, one thing has always remained consistent for me. No matter what, I always make sure to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. This is my second year living too far away from home, to visit for the holiday, so as you can imagine, this day can feel a bit different for my family and I, but knowing that I am watching here in Utah, and they are at home watching in Indiana connects us in some way. It’s like when you look up and see the stars from your bedroom window, and know that someone somewhere else is looking up at those same night stars too. It’s a connection.
Now onto the history of how this parade came to be. November 27, 1924 a brisk morning and sunny skies greeted the parade goers in New York City, for the first ever Macy’s Thanksgiving day parade. However, during this time the parade was not actually about the Thanksgiving holiday, nor was it called the “Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.” This parade was based around Christmas and was originally called the “Macy’s Christmas Parade”, despite it being on Thanksgiving.
You might be wondering to yourself, “What does the Macy’s department store have to do with this parade? Why is it named after it?” In 1922, R.H. Macy & Co. began opening regional store locations after going public. Manhattan’s Herald Square location was so successful, that they decided to expand the store in 1924 to cover an entire city block, making this the “World’s Largest Store.” In honor of this accomplishment, Macy’s decided to throw New York a parade on Thanksgiving morning.
The idea of a store-sponsored Thanksgiving day parade did not originate with Macy’s though. Gimbel Brothers Department store in Philadelphia, was the first ever store to throw a Thanksgiving Day parade in 1920. In regards to Thanksgiving parades in New York City however, the only parade that had previously passed through was an odd tradition of children painting their faces and dressing in tattered clothes, roaming the streets asking, “Anything for Thanksgiving?” as they went door-to-door for pennies, apples, and candy.
This first year of the parade, Macy’s adorned their windows with displays from familiar nursery-rhymes. An ode to kiddies everywhere, who would surely be peering in as they passed by, wondering what toys and goodies to ask Santa for this year! To match the window displays, the parade featured Mother Goose favorites such as “The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe” and “Little Red Riding Hood.” Store employees dressed as clowns, cowboys, and knights as they made the six mile trek through the streets of New York City. There were even live animals in the first few parades. The Central Park zoo loaned elephants, monkeys, camels, and even bears to participate! The live animals did not become a lasting tradition for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade however, The boisterous roars and growls that echoed through the streets frightened many of the younger spectators, and proved to be a bit of a liability concern.
Instead of live animals, in 1927 we were introduced to the giant balloon characters that we have all come to know and love. This has easily become the signature attraction of the parade, and by far my favorite! Do you know which character was the first ever helium-filled balloon designed for the parade? If you guessed Felix the Cat, you’re right!
From 1927-1932 following the conclusion of the parade, these giant balloons were released into the sky. If you were to retrieve one of the balloons, it could be returned in exchange for a $100 reward from Macy’s. However, this tradition quickly ended after an airplane pilot attempted to capture a balloon in 1932, and nearly crashed.
Did you know that you can actually go see the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Balloon Inflation? This event is open to the public around the streets of the American Museum of Natural History, on the eve of Thanksgiving.
Want to know more fascinating facts about these iconic balloon animals? Today, the balloons are designed in an old Tootsie Roll factory in Hoboken, New Jersey, by the Macy’s Parade Studio. An exact scale replica created out of clay, as well as a painted model are designed before the balloon is cut out of fabric. Most balloons end up being around 5-6 stories high, and the entire process can take up to one year!
Throughout the many years that the Macy’s Parade has been going, the only time it was ever canceled was from 1942-1944, because of the helium and rubber shortage during World War II. All available supplies were donated to the war efforts, and it didn’t seem like an appropriate time to be celebrating. When the parade returned in 1945, it was broadcast on television for the first time.
As we are quickly approaching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, I am most looking forward to seeing the Astronaut Snoopy balloon, and the Bluey balloon. What can I say, I am a sucker for cartoon pups! Who are you most looking forward to seeing?
