Thanksgiving is a time of familial gatherings and sweet and savory indulgences. The first thing that comes to mind when the holiday approaches is \u201cThe Macy\u2019s Thanksgiving Day Parade.\u201d As exciting as the early Christmas wake-up, Thanksgiving morn is a wondrous time in my household. Our countdown begins on Thanksgiving Eve \u2014 a night of restless anticipation \u2014 and finishes off on Thanksgiving Day, an entire day of continuous celebration. The parade, which airs annually on NBC, is a hallmark. The beautiful floats and the hot-shot celebrities lip-synching their hearts out construct an inviting ambiance that keeps our four pairs of eyes glued to the television. With a full heart and an inherent curiosity, I decided to trace the history of this internationally renowned event to satisfy my childhood aspirations.<\/p>\n
The Thanksgiving Day Parade was first launched almost 100 years ago on Thursday, November 24, 1924. To highlight the grand opening of the \u201cWorld\u2019s Largest Store,\u201d the board of Macy\u2019s decided on a parade, a six-mile long stretch<\/a> from 145th<\/sup> Street and Covenant Avenue to the Macy\u2019s location on 34th<\/sup> Street and Broadway (Herald Square) that would inspire the shopping season. Intuitively, the parade was originally intended to celebrate Christmas and was named \u201cThe Macy\u2019s Christmas Parade.\u201d It featured animals from the Central Park Zoo, floats from classic Christmas tales (such as Little Miss Riding Hood and Little Miss Muffet) and a very jolly Mr. Claus as the special guest of the finale. In its grandeur, Macy\u2019s event was an international success \u2014 drawing crowds of thousands of not just New Yorkers, but out-of-staters and international parade enthusiasts. Excited about the turnout, the board of Macy\u2019s jumped on the bandwagon and began advertising the following year\u2019s Macy\u2019s \u201cChristmas Parade\u201d the very next day. <\/p>\n In 1927, Macy\u2019s board incorporated helium into the parade. By doing so, the company upgraded the floats that retained a dedicated audience over the three-year period. The result: The Central Park\u2019s zoo animals were relieved of their marching duties and a helium-filled Felix the Cat floated along the route in glory. In 1934, the first singer-actor Eddie Cantor joined the parade<\/a>. From then on, the floats became larger, the number of performers greater and the audience wider.<\/p>\n