Santa Claus parades, also calledChristmas parades, areparades held in some countries to celebrate the official opening of theChristmas season with the arrival ofSanta Claus who always appears in the last float.The parades usually include themed floats, dancing or marching groups and bands playingChristmas songs. They are movingpageants that typically end near the centre of a city. Often sponsored by department stores, they may reinforce the store's brand recognition during the important Christmas shopping season.
The Christmas parade is a direct descendant of late Medieval and Renaissance revivals ofRoman Triumphs, which had music and banners, wagons filled with the spoils of war, and climaxed with thedux riding in a chariot, preferably drawn by two horses, and thus called thebiga. (Aquadriga such as surmounts theBrandenburg Gate is drawn by four horses.) Similarly, the climax of a Santa Claus parade is always Santa in his sleigh, drawn by eight reindeer (anoctigia). Roman Triumphs were themselves consciously modeled on ceremonies honoring thegods. The Santa Claus parade directly corresponds to the moderntriumphal entry of Santa Claus.[citation needed]
Santa Claus parades are most common in North America.
One of the largest is theToronto Santa Claus Parade, held annually in mid-November inToronto, started in 1905 by theEaton's department store. That year Santa arrived on a train and met Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Eaton, then walked to the Eaton's Downtown store. The first float was introduced in 1908 and consisted of one truck with a band to accompany Santa. The parade now has over 24 floats, 24 bands, and 1,700 participants, and is broadcast in several countries.
Peoria, Illinois has the longest running Santa Claus Parade in the U.S. The parade celebrated its 131st edition on November 23, 2018.[1] The first parade in 1887 consisted of boats and derricks sailing down the river as part of the new bridge construction. In 1888, Peoria held a parade through town, celebrating the completion of the newUpper Free Bridge. The following December, Frederick Block of the Schipper and Block Department Store (later Block & Kuhl's) sponsored a parade that followed the same route and featured Santa Claus. This created the concept of a department-store parade that was later emulated in larger cities. Various attractions in the parade through the years included fireworks, circus wagons, a calliope, live reindeer and numerous parade floats. The parade was first televised in 1958.
InVancouver, the Santa Claus Parade, originally sponsored by Rogers, and later Telus, has also grown to be one of the largest, with 65 floats and bands. A special train also circulates through the parade, collecting donations for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank and the Lower Mainland Christmas Bureau. In 2005, the parade collected over 4,300 kg (9,500 lb) of food and 2,300 toy donations. The last parade occurred in 2019, with the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by lack of sponsorship, leading to its cancellation.
Houston, Texas hosts theH-E-B Thanksgiving Day Parade annually since 1950. The previous sponsor wasFoley's, untilMacy's bought it.
Gimbels Department Store inPhiladelphia started its parade in 1920. The parade is now known as the6abc Dunkin' Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade and was formerly sponsored byIKEA andBoscov's. It is the oldest parade in the United States held onThanksgiving Day as the older parade in Peoria is held the day after.
InNew York City, theMacy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, famous for its giant helium-filled balloons, began in 1924, inspired by the Eaton's parade in Toronto, with Macy's employees in costume, and— a distinctively Roman touch— animals borrowed from theCentral Park Zoo. The giant balloons made an early appearance, withFelix the Cat in 1927. The inflation of the balloons in the streets flanking theAmerican Museum of Natural History the night before has become a traditional gathering for New York'sUpper West Side.
Also in 1924, theJ. L. Hudson Company staged its firstThanksgiving Parade inDetroit, Michigan. Among the early features were large papier-mâché heads similar to those seen by Hudson's display director, Charles Wendel, on a recent trip toViareggio, Italy. The heads continue to be a feature in the annual event. Hudson's sponsored the parade until 1979 when it was turned over to a non-profit group. In 1983, it became theMichigan Thanksgiving Parade and is currently known asAmerica's Thanksgiving Parade.[2]
Grand Rapids, Michigan's annual Santa Claus parade, known today as theArt Van Santa Parade, made history in 1971 when it became the first parade to end with the arrival of anAfrican-American Santa Claus.
TheHollywood Christmas Parade (formerly The Santa Claus Lane Parade) inSouthern California is a seasonal tradition that somewhat competes with theTournament of Roses Parade and theDoo Dah Parade.Gene Autry wrote the well known Christmas song "Here Comes Santa Claus" after hearing children on the Santa Claus Lane Parade route yelling "Here Comes Santa Claus!" upon glimpsing Santa in the distance.
As part of its citywide Christmas celebrations, known as Gran Festival Navideño,Mexico City holds a parade onEje Central. The 2011 version featured mobile machines that blew artificial snow on participants and spectators.[3] This parade has been telecast on theTelevisa andAzteca networks, withTelevisa's coverage being the official coverage and being the most-widely aired coverage, being broadcast in other Spanish-speaking countries and onGalavision in the United States.
Elsewhere, especially inCommonwealth countries outside Canada, Santa Claus parades are sometimes known as Christmas pageants.[citation needed] The largest is theAdelaide Christmas Pageant, which was begun in 1933 and is held annually in November.[citation needed] In New Zealand most main centres have a Santa Parade, with many held since the early 20th century.[4] Early New Zealand parades often had Santa arrive by unusual means, including on an elephant, by plane, and by parachute.[4]
