Thanksgiving day facts

November 16, 2025

The very first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade took place on November 27, 1924 — yup, almost 100 years ago!
Back then, it was actually called the “Macy’s Christmas Parade” — it was meant to kick off the Christmas shopping season, not just celebrate Thanksgiving.

It was organized by employees of Macy’s department store, many of whom were immigrants.
They wanted to celebrate their new American traditions while honoring the old European street festivals they remembered from home.

Instead of giant balloons, the 1924 parade featured live animals from the Central Park Zoo — including elephants, camels, and bears marching down the streets of Manhattan!
The animals ended up scaring some kids, so Macy’s swapped them out for balloons in later years (probably a wise move 😄).

The parade included floats, bands, clowns, and costumed Macy’s employees.
One of the original floats was called the Mother Goose float, which became a crowd favorite.

Just like today, Santa Claus closed the parade, arriving at Macy’s Herald Square and signaling the start of the Christmas season.

The first parade drew an estimated 250,000 spectators — a big deal for the 1920s!
It was such a hit that Macy’s announced the parade would become an annual event.

The first giant balloons appeared in 1927, designed by Tony Sarg, a puppeteer and illustrator.
That first year included Felix the Cat as one of the balloon characters!
📺 First TV Broadcast (1946–1947)
The parade was first televised locally in New York City in 1946.
Then, in 1947, NBC broadcast it nationally for the first time.
That same year, the parade appeared in the movie Miracle on 34th Street, making it a pop culture icon practically overnight.

🎥 “Miracle on 34th Street” Connection
The opening scenes of that 1947 film were actually shot during the real parade!
You can see the real crowds, real floats, and even the real Santa Claus (played by Edmund Gwenn, who later won an Oscar for the role).

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