Let's Have a Parade!
Every
Thanksgiving morning, my family gathers in front of the TV for one of our favorite traditions: the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. We watch the floats, balloons, and performers glide down the streets of New York...and enjoy the commericals in between as well.
There’s something wonderfully comforting about knowing that millions of families across the country are doing the exact same thing at the exact same time, all starting their holiday with the same familiar burst of color and music.
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade we watch today, with its
high-tech floats, Broadway performances, marching bands, glittering costumes, and giant balloons shaped like beloved characters, looks nothing like its very first version.
That inaugural parade took place in 1924, when New York City was a swirling mix
of cultures, languages, hopes, and dreams. Many of Macy’s employees at the time were immigrants who wanted to share a bit of their own festive joy with their new country. They suggested creating a holiday parade that blended Thanksgiving with the lively street festivals they remembered from home.
So, on Thanksgiving
morning in 1924, they marched through Manhattan dressed in vibrant costumes. There were floats. There were bands. There were even live animals borrowed from the Central Park Zoo...think camels, elephants, and bears strolling alongside clowns and musicians. Thousands of spectators lined the streets to watch. The parade was such a hit that Macy’s decided to make it an annual tradition.
The giant balloons, arguably the parade’s most iconic feature now, didn’t appear until 1927. Felix the Cat was the first character to float above the crowds, swaying gently between the tops of the buildings. Over the years, the balloons grew larger, more elaborate, and more whimsical. Snoopy, Pikachu, Charlie Brown, and countless others took their turns soaring above the city, each one earning a place in the hearts of
parade-watchers everywhere.
As time went on, the parade evolved alongside American culture. It began broadcasting on television, bringing the magic directly into living rooms from coast to coast. Watching the parade became a shared national ritual...one of the few traditions that has lasted through decades of change,
challenges, and celebrations.
For many families (mine included), it’s a moment to breathe before the busy day ahead, to sit shoulder-to-shoulder in pajamas, and to feel the happiness of doing something together that feels both familiar and
joyful.
If you plan to tune in this year, here’s when to set your reminders:
The 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade airs live on
Thursday, November 27, 2025 on NBC. Coverage begins at 8:30 a.m. in all time zones and runs until 12:00 p.m. ET.
So when the alarm goes off Thanksgiving morning, grab your blanket, find your favorite spot on the couch, and flip on the parade
with the people you love. Sometimes the simplest traditions become the ones our hearts hold onto the most.
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