A Brief History of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

The holiday season is chalk-full of traditions. Gatherings with friends and family. A pumpkin pie or two on the dinner table. A few stockings hung by the fire with care.

And, of course, a 50-foot inflatable dog careening down 6th Avenue. Can’t forget about that one!

As is tradition, the 98th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is coming to a street corner – or, more likely, a television screen – near you this Thursday, November 28, at 8:30 a.m. ET. But while most of us are familiar with the Parade’s usual trappings, not as many are acquainted with the history of the annual festival of inflation.

The first iteration of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was held on November 27, 1924. Naturally, it looked a bit different from today’s current spectacle. For one thing, it was dubbed the “Macy’s Christmas Parade,” instead of its contemporary, Thanksgiving-related title. It featured Macy’s employees dressed as clowns, cowboys, and other characters; a collection of bears, elephants, monkeys, camels, and other animals from the Central Park Zoo; and a float bearing none other than Santa Claus himself atop his customary reindeer-drawn sleigh. It also covered a whopping 6-mile route, more than double the current distance of 2.5 miles.

In 1927, the Parade began to take shape into the festivity we know it as today. Parade-goers were greeted by a giant helium-filled balloon – in the shape of beloved cartoon character Felix the Cat – drifting down the city streets. Originally conceived by famed puppeteer and theatrical designer Anthony Sarg, balloons of this nature became a mainstay of the Parade going forward. They replaced the involvement of zoo animals, many of whom had reportedly not enjoyed the annual 6-mile trek and had begun to growl and roar in displeasure on account of their tired feet.

Nearly 100 years after its first stroll down New York City’s streets, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has maintained a sense of cultural relevance. According to Variety and Forbes, a record 28.5 million people tuned in to NBC and its Peacock streaming service to watch the Parade in 2023 – and that’s not including the millions who crowded along Central Park West to watch it in person! This was an increase from the previous record of 25.4 million viewers set in 2021.

Due to this popularity, the Parade has become synonymous with the holiday season in the United States and has walked its way down a number of avenues of media and pop culture. From being featured on episodes of “Seinfeld” and “Friends” to serving as the backdrop of Super Bowl commercials and classic holiday movies like “Miracle on 34th Street,” the Parade has been a part of the Thanksgiving zeitgeist for almost a century.

There’s no doubt: The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a fun event that millions of people look forward to each year. However, it’s also worth recognizing the Parade’s role as an advertising campaign for the Macy’s department store chain. The Parade was originally conceived by Macy’s in 1922 to showcase the opening of their flagship store in Manhattan’s Herald Square – the self-proclaimed “World’s Largest Store” that covered an entire city block. At the time, business was booming for Macy’s, and they’d begun acquiring competitors and opening regional locations. According to History.com, Macy’s “hoped its ‘Christmas Parade’ would whet the appetites of consumers for a holiday shopping feast.”

While the parade has changed over time and become somewhat disconnected from the promotion of Macy’s products, it still remains a prominent advertising initiative for one of the world’s largest department store chains. And, as with most large fashion brands, Macy’s is far from perfect when it comes to creating sustainable, eco-friendly clothing. In September 2023, for instance, Macy’s was ordered to pay $1.6 million in civil penalties and cost reimbursement for hazardous waste violations across its California stores. This egregious breach of environmental regulations is aligned with Macy’s reputation as a fast fashion brand. As we’ve discussed before in other posts, fast fashion brands often skirt sustainability and social responsibility for the sake of higher profits and keeping up with the latest fashion trends. These are unfortunate, highly important facts that won’t be displayed on the inflatable cartoon characters and colorful floats as they glide down the city streets on Thursday.

None of this is to say that we can’t or shouldn’t watch and enjoy the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The holidays are a time for joy and celebration, and parades are a great way of getting into the spirit of the season. Rather, it’s merely a reminder that we should absorb the messaging and advertising around us with care. Especially as holiday shopping reaches its zenith in the coming weeks, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the hype and forget the importance of valuing eco-friendly, socially-responsible brands.

So, when you’re picking through the mountain of holiday deals and special promotions that come your way around the holidays, make sure you’re supporting brands that match your values – that’s just one way we can help protect our planet year-round and for years to come.

Thanks for rocking with us here at Doo Dah Apparel through the holidays. We’re wishing you and your family – and, of course, our 50-foot-tall, inflatable friend Snoopy – a joyous holiday season!

Alec Matulka
Doo Dah Apparel LLC