Thanksgiving is a holiday that is celebrated with iconic traditions like the foods we eat, the people we spend it with, and the words we exchange. These are annual rituals that many people participate in every year. However, there is another one that gathers attention from millions, and for a good reason. That of course, is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade is an annual event in New York that started in 1924. Every year millions of people turn on their televisions or even travel a long way in order to watch. It consists of a stream of colorful floats, marching bands, captivating performances, and most importantly, Santa Claus. This parade symbolizes the beginning of the holiday season and assists people in feeling the seasonal spirit. However, one must ask the question: is the parade still relevant?
When I first considered this question, my answer was no. Personally, I have not tuned in to watch the parade in a few years. I knew I could not just use my opinion to define its relevance, so I decided to ask someone who has watched many years of the event: my mom. She answered, “I think it’s still relevant because a lot of people still like to watch and attend because it’s a tradition that they want to pass on to their children.” Her response had completely changed my opinion on the subject.
My childhood memories of the holiday immediately came back into my mind. I would wake up early because we had to travel to South Carolina to my grandma’s house. By the time we got there, the parade would be in motion. I would watch in amazement while seeing my favorite characters march through the procession. This sight, mixed with the aroma of delicious food cooking in the kitchen, made Thanksgiving as a child worthwhile.
When I was a teenager, we no longer traveled due to disease and distance. The reason I was excited for the parade had also changed. I had become obsessed with musicals and I would look up the scheduled time they would perform the day before so I would not miss it on Thanksgiving Day. Some of my favorite performances to watch back are Anastasia in 2017 and Hadestown in 2019. These are some of the fondest memories that I associate with the holiday.
Even now, the Macy’s parade continues to stay relevant because of the appeal to all generations who watch. In order to make it a tradition, it has to garner the interest of the new viewers so that they will want to show it to somebody else when they get older. The memories of the parade from when I was a kid stick in my head because it had displays of things I was interested in. If it was boring, I would choose not to watch. Some viewers enjoy the floats that show up every year because of how sentimental the tradition is to them. Others enjoy seeing the more recent pop culture references added to the list of floats. Recent floats like this include Pikachu or SpongeBob.
Marching bands are also a reason that the parade stays relevant. When conversing with my mom, she told me her favorite part was the high school bands that marched with the parade. She said this was important because these teenagers work very hard to be a part of this. This keeps the parade relevant because it could inspire others to want to achieve this goal as well.
Spending quality time with your loved ones is also connected to the event. Whether you travel to see the parade and go shopping during your time there, or snuggled up with your family on the couch to watch, the time together will bring the happiest memories to your holiday.
This upcoming holiday season, you should consider tuning in to the Macy’s Day Thanksgiving Parade. You can spend quality time with your family, watch the amazing floats and performances, and make memories that you can pass down to the next generation. If you continue this tradition, the parade will continue to be relevant.
