Traditions: Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade explained
The momentous Macy's Day Parade seen by more than 3.5 million people in New York and 50 million at home is a Thanksgiving staple full of balloons, floats and festive performances.
But how did it all start?
More than 60 years after the Thanksgiving holiday's formal recognition in 1863, another tradition was born in 1924, according to Macy's.
That year the department store held its first parade with animals from the Central Park Zoo. It was first called the Macy's Christmas Parade and held by store employees.
In 1927, Macy's unveiled its first giant balloon character, Felix the Cat.
Macy's designers first collaborated with Walt Disney in 1934, when they introduced the parade's first Mickey Mouse balloon.
And did you know?
• Balloons from the parade were deflated and donated to the government in the 1940s for World War II supplies, namely scrap rubber.
• It was televised nationally for the first time in 1947.
• Snoopy is the parade character with the most balloons in history.
• A falloon is a term coined by Macy's Parade Studio to describe a float with a balloon character on it.
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