Parades are more than mere spectacles. They are windows into the cultures that produce them. Every element of a parade, from its planning to the array of floats and performers it presents, reveals something about its context.

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has been referred to by many as "America's Parade." This language, coupled with the parade's popularity and longevity, indicates that the event is a useful subject of study for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of American culture.

Upon beginning our research into the parade, it quickly came to our attention that while the Macy's Parade was well-recorded, scholarship on it was extremely limited. We also noted that while there was an abundance of factual information to be found, the sources from which it came were scattered and individually incomprehensive. There seemed to be few places one could access a wealth of information on the subject.

Our purpose in designing this site, therefore, was two-fold. First, to provide interested visitors with an extensive compilation of information on the event, so that they might find such information more easily than we did. And second, to pay proper attention to the significance the parade holds for American culture by analyzing the parade's role in and reflection of the commercialization of Christmas and America as a culture and a nation. For a more thorough description of our purpose and argument, visit our Analysis pages.

Thank you for your interest in our site.

 

 

 

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