Macy's Day Thanksgiving Parade 2006

Sitting in front of the television watching the Macy's Day Thanksgiving Day Parade is a tradition that goes back as far as I can remember.  Or at least having it on in the background occupying the younger kids while mom and dad are busy preparing the holiday feast.

In the 1920s many of Macy's department store employees were first-generation immigrants who were proud of their new American heritage.  They wanted to celebrate the U.S. holiday of Thanksgiving with the type of festival their parents had loved in Europe.

There was a department store in 1924 in New Jersey, Bamberger's who decided to transfer its annual Thanksgiving parade to Macy's.  There the employees dressed in costumes, made floats, had bands, and live animals from Central Park Zoo.  They marched to the Macy's on 34th Street where St. Nick was heralded in front of a quarter million people.  This became an annual event.

 In 1927, huge animal-like balloons replaced the live animals, and Felix the Cat was the first balloon to make a debut.  The next year the balloons were filled with helium.  Mickey Mouse made his debut in 1934 and millions of parade watchers were lining the streets in New York.

Because of the shortage of rubber and helium during World War II, among other reasons, the parade was suspended during 1942-1944, but resumed in 1945.  The deflated balloons were donated to the war effort and turned into 650 lbs. of scrap rubber.  A ceremony for the donation was held during which NYC Mayor La Guardia plunged a knife into the Happy Dragon balloon.

At the conclusion of some of the very early Macy's parades, five of the balloons would be released with return addresses on them.  They would deflate slowly so they would take a week to 10 days to come down.  $100 Macy's gift certificates would be offered to those returning the balloons.  In following years, ten balloons were released and the gift certificate was reduced to $50.  In the 30's people were trying to catch the balloons in mid-air, by small plane, which soon made the practice of releasing the balloons cease, in the interest of public safety.

     Felix the Cat 

  Dachshund

 Uncle Sam WWII

In 1956, winds gusting up 45 mph blew through the parade route, deflating all of the balloons except for Mighty Mouse.  In 1958 there was a helium shortage and air-filled balloons were carried on cranes.