As Thanksgiving rolls around once again, the STA community is filled with excitement and gratitude. This year Thanksgiving was on November 27th, and the parade will began its 99th march through the streets of New York City at 8:30 am. Around 3.5 million attend this parade every single year, and about 10 million people stream it live on television. This year’s parade was broadcast on the Peacock network.
The parade, which typically opens with performances from Broadway’s current lineup of shows, and ends with the arrival of the mythological legend, Santa Claus, features large balloons, floats, marching bands, live music, and dance performers. This tradition started in 1924 as a Christmas parade featuring live animals, and was initiated by Macy’s employees. In 1927, large balloons depicting Snoopy and Felix the Cat were added to the procession. The parade grew throughout the years, even through the Great Depression, but was temporarily cancelled during World War II in 1945. Macy’s hosts this parade every year to kick off the holiday season. In 1948, the parade was broadcast on national television for the first time (CBS), and has continued in the NBC Thanksgiving Day lineup since 1953.
Today, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has gained significant recognition, and is considered a beloved Thanksgiving day tradition by many Americans. In order to get a good view of the parade, crowds of people start gathering there at 6:30 am. The parade is a great way to come together and celebrate during the holiday season; it has been an enjoyable tradition by many Americans and travelers across the nation every year. This year’s parade featured performances from Cynthia Erivo, of Wicked fame and Netflix’s K-Pop Demon Hunters made an appearance. Pop legends, Debbie Gibson and Jewel, were spotted singing on floats, as well as Shaggy!
Many STA students and faculty enjoy watching the parade with their families. Junior, Avery Mescolotto, said, “I liked all of the live music performances, and the Frost Pip Baby float was my favorite!” Ms. Garrard, the drama teacher, added, “I like watching all of the Broadway performances and the Rockettes always put on a good show, but my favorite thing about the parade is the bad lip syncing from the float performers. I love to make fun of it with my kids!”
