R.H. Macy & Co. was opened as a dry goods store on Sixth Avenue in New York City in the year of 1858. At the time of it's grand opening, the building's location was very important. It was specifically placed at a great enough distance from other well known dry goods stores in the city, so as to increase it's sales and popularity. This was not only a clever business move, but it was also a ray of hope for locals who were seeking employment opportunities, as it created several new important positions for hire. Naturally, as the store grew over time, so that it offered more than dry goods, more and more positions were created that needed to be filled, which presented an even higher number of employment opportunities. Many of these people, or families, who worked for the department store, were first-generation immigrants to the United States. They were naturally to be proud of their new country and heritage that they were providing for the families by their relocation, and there is no denying that it was very important and noteworthy for so many foreign immigrants in New York during that time period to have such good permanent positions at a booming and rapidly expanding department store. They wanted to show their appreciation and celebration of thanks for their new country and employer, and they finally found a way in the 1920s, in the form of a parade, which has an extensive history in Europe.
Plans were drawn up, and what was known at the time as the first official Macy's Christmas Parade was marched in the late fall of 1924. Employees, musicians, entertainers in costumes,
and even animals from the Central Park Zoo walked along the route, which stretched from Harlem to the store on 34th Street. Once the crowd surrounded the storefront at the end of the route, a throne was set up on the Macy's balcony, and Santa Claus was officially introduced for the holiday season, and was crowned and titled the "King of the Kiddies." There was such a large turn out and favorable response for that first parade that Macy's Department Store officially announced that they hoped to make it an annual celebration.
Seeking to make improvements and small changes for viewer satisfaction, large balloons were added to the parade. Many balloons of different grades and sizes and themes have been added and many have been kept as a tradition of the parade over the years, such as Uncle
Sam, Superman, Kermit the Frog, Betty Boop, the Toy Soldier, Mickey Mouse, and many others. In earlier years, people were undecided as to what to do with many of the balloons after the parade was over. Were they to be kept and stored? And if so, where? In 1928, the big balloons were all released into the sky at the end of the parade, but they all burst, causing much chaos and confusion. The following year, they were specifically designed so that they would stay inflated for several days. They were then released at the end of the parade, with address labels sewn into them, so that when they deflated and fell to the ground, the person who found and returned them would receive a free holiday gift from Macy's. The first of these giant balloons that was introduced was
Felix the Cat in 1927, which was also the first year that the parade was broadcast on the radio. It was announced and broadcast every year on the radio up until 1951, as the number of household television sets began to increase, thereby bringing about a decrease in the total number of people who listened to extended radio broadcasts. The only years that the parade was neither broadcast on the radio or the television were from 1942 to 1944, when the parade was actually temporarily suspended due to the large percentage of rubber, and helium that was given to the military in the war effort. It's first official year of television broadcast by NBC was in 1948. This was largely due to popularity and interest that was sparked in movie-goers who did not live in or near New York and had been to see the famous motion picture Miracle on 34th Street (1947) the previous year.
Floats are also added to the parade frequently, and there are many floats that are a sure tradition. The Tom Turkey float was first added in 1971, and has been seen every year since, along with floats like Sesame Street, and Marvel Comics. Santa Claus is also seen every year as the finale of the parade, and his appearance marks the official beginning of the Christmas season, just as it did 87 years ago.
There have been many different famous celebrities that have shared a part in the tradition of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, such as Betty White, Willard Scott, Katie Couric, Ann Curry, Al Roker, and many more.
Over the years, despite the many different changes that have been made, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade remains an annual holiday tradition that promises festive family fun for all who watch or attend.
The question is, will you be watching?
