Thanksgiving Day falls on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. The highlight of the parade is the giant balloons in the shape of favorite cartoon characters.
This year, the holiday falls on November 28. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is considered the world's largest Thanksgiving Day parade, organized by the Macy's department store chain annually in New York City, starting in 1924. The event usually lasts three hours from 9am to 12pm, and is televised live nationwide.
The New York Balloon Parade takes place every Thanksgiving morning, a tradition that dates back nearly a century.
This year, the large number of Americans waiting for the parade were able to admire the giant hot air balloons, the size of a 6-story building, simulating the shapes of familiar cartoon characters such as: Spiderman, Monkey D. Luffy or Goldbear gummy bear. To prepare for the ceremony taking place this morning, workers pumped helium into 17 balloons shaped like cartoon characters, 22 balloons shaped like flower carriages and 15 balloons depicting images of new cultural heritages.
In addition to the giant balloons, the parade will also feature more than 700 clowns, 11 marching bands and 10 performing arts groups. More than 8,000 people will march through the streets of New York in this year's parade, witnessed by an estimated 3.5 million live viewers and nearly 30 million online viewers. The paraders will travel more than 4km from Central Park to Macy's. As they march, they will exchange wishes for a peaceful and happy holiday season.
Giant balloons at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, USA
Thanksgiving is not only a traditional holiday but also the beginning of a colorful holiday season in America. The Macy's Parade, a symbol of New York City, has become an indispensable ritual, marking the beginning of a holiday season filled with joy and love. For a century, New Yorkers have preserved and developed this wonderful tradition.
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, organized by the retail store Macy's, began in 1924 by Macy's employees who were first-generation immigrants to the United States and wanted to celebrate Thanksgiving in the style popular in Europe.
In addition to the Macy's parade, Americans also organize many other activities on the occasion of Thanksgiving. Among them is the annual Webster Turkey Trot held in Webster, New York, to celebrate Thanksgiving. Or many local restaurants choose to cook charity meals with familiar dishes such as turkey, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, meat, peas, pumpkin pie, to help those in need.
