Becca’s Blog: The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Hey everyone! Welcome to my blog once again! Can you believe the year is almost over? Time really does fly by faster the older I get. Tell you what though, no matter what age I am, I’m never too old to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade!

As a tradition for many of us, watching the parade bright and early has become an integral cultural element of celebrating Thanksgiving. The first parade was held in 1924 in Manhattan with employees from the 34^th St. store dressed in vibrant costumes with floats and animals borrowed from the Central Park Zoo. Fun fact: it was originally called the “Macy’s Christmas Parade” The parade was successful enough despite low media coverage that Macy’s declared it an annual event.

The parade expanded greatly and by 1933 over a million people lined the streets to watch the festivities; it was also broadcast over the radio. The giant balloons we all know and love today were first introduced to replace the live animals in 1927. These large balloons were crafted by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company in Akron, Ohio – a tradition that continued until 1980. Amazingly, the only years the parade did not march were from 1941 to 1944 due to rubber and helium shortages during World War II. 1945 saw the valiant return of the parade, and by 1947 it was broadcast on television nationally and became a nationwide phenomenon with the release and popularity of Miracle on 34^th Street. Since then, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade has been a beloved time-honored tradition and household name.

In all these years, the giant balloons have proven safe and steadfast overall. Twice, rainwater has accumulated on some balloons, causing them to overflow and spill onto onlookers below. In 1971 severe winds damaged the balloons, preventing their appearance in the parade. Superman once even had his arm ripped off by tree branches! In 1997, there were balloon related injuries when one knocked over a light post onto onlookers – don’t worry though, more safety measures have been put in place since then!

The most popular balloons are always the character balloons, and throughout the years a wide array has been introduced. Felix the Cat was first in 1927, and since then he’s been joined by other fan favorites like Mickey Mouse, Betty Boop, Snoopy, Spider Man, SpongeBob, and Baby Yoda – just to name a few!

The most thrilling part for kids (young and old!) is of course, Santa Claus. The grand finale of him rolling through symbolizes the beginning of the Christmas season for many of us. We recognize him sitting in an ornate sleigh float with all his reindeer, Mrs. Claus, and elves, but back in 1924 things were a little different – Can you believe he was originally led by armored knights to Herald Square to be crowned “King of the Kiddies” on the balcony of the 34^th St. Macy’s entrance? How times have changed, huh!?