The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade never disappoints
Turkey? Optional. The parade? Absolutely not.
Photo courtesy of Sean Ingram/Pexels
On every Thanksgiving morning since 1924, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has taken over the streets of New York City with tens of thousands of people, floats, and performers to ring in the holiday. Since 1953 when NBC first televised the event, families have gathered around the TV to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
It is estimated by People Entertainment that 10,000 people attended the first Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1924. Today, Macy’s says that over three million people attend the parade in person in New York and over 50 million people watch it on television. Next year will be the parade’s 100th year anniversary. With the festivities lasting almost 100 years, and with the number of people tuning in to see them growing by such large numbers, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade takes the title of best Thanksgiving Day tradition.
Each year, the parade is a bit different. The Radio City Music Hall Rockettes perform a variety of dance numbers in different eye-catching uniforms, new floats grace the streets of the city, and various casts from Broadway musicals make appearances. There is something for everyone to love in the parade. With the Rockettes' dynamic performances, viewers of the parade get to see them perform without paying the steep ticket prices to attend the Christmas Spectacular performance they put on in December. The Rockettes truly shine among other festivities and performances you cannot find anywhere else but the Thanksgiving Day Parade!
This creates something truly exciting to look forward to each holiday—unlike the same turkey and stuffing you know you are bound to eat or the same “How is school going?” questions you know you will receive from relatives.
The floats are different from year to year. This year, as reported by the New York Times, a Labubu float made its debut in the parade. The classic Snoopy and—one of my personal favorites—the Pillsbury Doughboy also made appearances, of course. No matter what characters or pop culture you enjoy, there is a float in the parade that is bound to bring a smile to your face. What better way to start Thanksgiving than with an adorable inflatable version of your favorite character? The answer: there is no better way. According to Macy’s, the floats range from 68 to 100 feet in height; they cannot be missed—unlike the forgettable pie you’ll eat later that day.
Anyone can enjoy the parade from anywhere. Before you have to sit at the table, feeling far too full and your jeans way too tight, you can lay comfortably on the couch or in bed, still in your pajamas, and watch the parade. No need to buy expensive tickets or travel; it is a perfect way to enjoy some holiday season cheer without spending money (because you have already spent way too much on gifts and food) or having to travel (because the traffic of going back to school after break will be more than enough for one holiday season).
When conversation runs dull at the table, you can always fall back on the trustworthy: “Hey, what was your favorite part of the parade this morning?” It is bound to be something everyone can talk about. My own family members, along with many others, even keep the parade on the TV in another room while they cook in the kitchen—it just is not something to be missed!
Sure, you could watch football on Thanksgiving instead. However, the numbers say it all. Last year, according to NFL Operations, 34.2 million people watched football on Thanksgiving Day, which was “the highest Thanksgiving Day average on record.” Even at its highest viewership rates, the NFL had approximately 15 million less viewers than the Thanksgiving Day Parade. It is truly a tradition that will never be topped.