Ten Reasons I Love The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

There are just some traditions that I have had my whole life, and probably always will. As I have hit the age of 40, a lot of things I grew up with are gone. Bob Hope Specials? Gone. New Year’s Rockin Eve with Dick Clark? Gone. Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon? Gone. But there is one that I am pretty sure isn’t going anywhere soon.

 

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is an institution, and I could do a whole aricle on the history of this wonderful event. How it started and the issues it’s had, good and bad.  But that’s boring and can be found elsewhere. Instead, here are ten things I love about the parade which still airs every Thanksgiving Day on NBC.






10.The Broadway Shows

This part probably bothers people, and I’ll be honest I can find it boring too, but in order to kill an hour before the parade can get to Herald Square NBC shows off some Broadway shows that are playing. And it’s cool seeing these since I don’t follow this stuff. I still remember Bebe Neuwrith singing “All That Jazz” long before I saw the movie Chicago. Nice. I also saw Kristen Chenowith perform a song from Wicked, which while I have not seen it is one I want to.





9.NBC Promo’s

To be honest this is boring for me now, but another thing NBC does to kill some time is interview celebrities who have new shows on the network they are desperately trying to plug. When I cared about what was on the network this was cool, today it isn’t so  much





8.The Hosts
  
When I was a kid Willard Scott was always the host, usually paired with many others including Stephanie Cramer, Sandy Duncan and Alf. Pat Sajak did it one year (for some reason). The last several years the hosts of the Today Show have hosted and while I am not much of a fan of that show these days, they do a good enough job hosting. Matt Lauer, Anne Curry, Al Roker, Savannah Guthrie…all do a good job. I miss when Katie Couric was on it she seemed perfect.



7.The Float’s

The float’s are usually pretty well done. Oh sure they’re no Rose Parade floats, but who doesn’t love to Tom the Turkey? Or the annual Sesame Street float? There have been many over the years which have been really cool. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Smurfs, Build a Bear Workshop…just to name three! Some I miss like Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop who always seemed to be there.  There is one special float I loved as a kid which I am giving it’s own category.




6.”Live” Performances

Let’s be honest, we all know that the performers are lip syncing to recorded music. Of course they are, how in the world could we hear them if they weren’t? That small gripe aside, I love these performances. I am not a parade person, so these break up the boring monotony of yet another balloon or marching band coming down he street. I have asked for albums for Christmas and seen movies coming out in theaters thanks to hearing these.




5.Balloons

Where do I start? Superman, Snoopy, Kermit, Ronald McDonald, Garfield, Bart Simpson, Popeye…the list goes on and on and on! These balloons are always the coolest thing to see in the parade, and very rarely disappoint.  Yeah the parade is not a perfect event and has a list of troubles and even injuries with these balloons, but I am not hear to dwell on that today. They always have new balloons every year and the classics of course still appear. I know, only four pictures?????




4.Masters of the Universe Float

Yeah, remember 1985? I mean it was only 30 years ago. I was 10. Good god I’m old. This is kind of random but one of my favorite memories a a kid was seeing this float on the parade. It was really cool as they acted out a battle scene. Not only did they do He-Man but they slipped She-Ra in there too! The best part was Pat Sajak’s totally bewildered expression after. Guess he didn’t have kids then. It was a beautiful float and very well done.




3.The Rockettes

Unless you get to Radio City Music Hall, or see the Christmas Show elsewhere like I did in Boston, this is the only chance your really get to see The Rockettes. I don’t get it really, it’s girls standing in line doing the can-can. But I enjoy watching them and I’m sure most everyone else does to. There is just something about these girls all dancing in rhythm which we all love.




2.Post 9/11

Yeah this is a weird one to maybe include, but I had to mention it. 9/11 happened in September (duh), so when November rolled around the question was..should they cancel the parade or not? It had only been cancelled for World War II. Even weather never delays it! But the consensus was to do the parade, and the truth is..we needed the parade that year. We needed to show the world that America was still united and would go on, and Terrorism is not going to stop us from living. The parade was “Americanized” with all kinds of patriotic images, and in many ways was the first time we as a county felt like we would be OK after the last two very hard months.






1.Santa Claus

I mean, duh! The best part of the parade is when Santa Claus arrives at the very end! When I was a kid it signaled the start of the Christmas season. Now, of course, it starts right after Halloween. But even so, when I see him coming I know that there is no turning back, the holidays are here.





I probably could have added another ten things but that’s enough. This parade is a major tradition for me and it simply could not be Thanksgiving without it. I know that no matter how times life changes, the parade will still be there. So, would I ever see it live if I had the chance? Uh, no. I’m good watching it from the comfort of my nice warm home thanks.