From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Santa Claus parade
Santa Claus parade
mounts the Brandenburg Gate is drawn by four horses.)
Similarly, the climax of a Santa Claus parade is always
Santa in his sleigh, drawn by eight reindeer (an octigia).
Roman Triumphs were themselves consciously modeled
on ceremonies honoring the gods, and Santa Claus him-
self is the descendant of Saint Nicholas. The Santa Claus
parade directly corresponds to the modern triumphal en-
try of Santa Claus.
Notable parades
Main article: List of Christmas parades
Toronto Santa Claus Parade, one of the largest in the world, in Santa Claus parades are most common in North America.
2007 One of the oldest and largest is the Toronto Santa Claus
Parade, held annually near the middle of November in
Santa Claus parades or Christmas pageants are parades Toronto, which was started in 1905 by the Eaton’s depart-
held in some countries to celebrate the official opening of ment store. That year Santa arrived on a train and met
the Christmas season with the arrival of Santa Claus. The Mr and Mrs. Timothy Eaton, then walked to the Eaton’s
parades usually include themed floats, dancing or march- Downtown store. The first float was introduced in 1908.
ing groups and bands playing Christmas songs. They are It was one truck with a band to accompany Santa. It now
moving pageants that typically end near the center of a has over 24 floats, 24 bands, and 1,700 participants, and is
city. Often sponsored by department stores, they may re- broadcast in several countries.
inforce the store’s brand recognition during the impor- In Vancouver, the Rogers’ Santa Claus Parade has also
tant Christmas shopping season. grown to be one of the largest, with 65 floats and bands.
A special train also comes around in the parade, collect-
ing donations for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank and
History the Lower Mainland Christmas Bureau. In 2005, the pa-
rade collected over 4,300 kg of food and 2,300 toy dona-
tions.
The department-store parade idea came to the U.S. in
1920 with Gimbels Department Store in Philadelphia. the
parade now known as the 6abc IKEA Thanksgiving Day
Parade is the oldest Thanksgiving Day parade in the Unit-
ed States.
In New York City, Macy’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 the Central Park Zoo.
The giant balloons made an early appearance, with Felix
the Cat in 1927. The inflation of the balloons in the streets
flanking the American Museum of Natural History the
A rocket ship float with Santa Claus in during a Christmas pa-
rade in Los Angeles, 1940 night before has become a traditional gathering for New
York’s Upper West Side.
It is a direct descendant of late Medieval and Renaissance Also in 1924, the J. L. Hudson Company staged its
revivals of Roman Triumphs, which had music and ban- first Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit, Michigan. Among
ners, wagons filled with the spoils of war, and climaxed the early features were large papier-mâché heads similar
with the dux riding in a chariot, preferably drawn by two to those seen by Hudson’s display director, Charles Wen-
horses, and thus called the biga. (A quadriga such as sur- del, on a recent trip to Viareggio, Italy. The heads con-
tinue to be a feature in the annual event. Hudson’s spon-
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Santa Claus parade
sored the parade until 1979 when it was turned over to a ally in November. The pageant is televised around Aus-
non-profit group. In 1983, it became the Michigan Thanks- tralia. Major pageants are also held in the New Zealand
giving Parade and is currently known as America’s Thanks- cities of Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and
giving Parade.[1] Dunedin.
Peoria, Illinois has the longest running Santa Claus
Parade in the U.S. The 122nd Parade to be held November
27, 2009; 1887 marked the first year of the parade, which
See also
consisted of boats and derricks coming down the river as • Santa’s Grotto
part of construction of the new bridge. In 1888, Peoria • Running of the Santas
held a parade through town, celebrating the completion • SantaCon - mass gatherings of people dressed in
of the new Upper Free Bridge. The following December, cheap Santa suits
Schipper and Block Department Store sponsored a pa- • Santa Claus
rade that followed the same route and featured Santa
Claus. Various attractions in the parade through the
years include fireworks, circus wagons, a calliope, live
External links
reindeer and numerous parade floats. The parade was • Toronto Santa Claus Parade Official Website
first televised in 1958. • The Santa Claus Parade Turns 100
The Hollywood Christmas Parade in Southern Califor- • Eaton’s Santa Claus Parade, 1960
nia is a seasonal tradition that somewhat competes with • Eaton’s Santa Claus Parade Colouring Books: 1951,
the Rose Parade and the Doo Dah Parade. 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1960 and 1961
Elsewhere, especially in Commonwealth countries
outside Canada, Santa Claus parades are usually known References
as Christmas pageants. The largest is the Adelaide Christ-
mas Pageant, which was begun in 1933 and is held annu- [1] [1]. Retrieved 29 September 2010.
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Categories: Christmas events and celebrations, Christmas and winter holiday parades
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