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Floats are a central component of any traditional parade, and Macy’s has had its share of fantastic floats from the very beginning.
In its earliest years, when the automobile was still emerging as a facet of daily life, Macy’s floats were pulled through the streets of New York by teems of horses. This caused confusion during the parade’s first year, when a white steed escaped from the Ben-Hur float just minutes before the parade began.[1] |
As the years progressed, not only did the mode of pulling the floats change; the themes embodied in the floats changed as well.
Early floats, like other early features of the parade, were strongly representative of fairy tales, nursery rhymes, folklore, and history. During the first year, float themes included the Old Lady Who Lived in a Shoe, Little Miss Muffit, and Little Red Riding Hood. The 30’s witnessed the Half Moon Ship Float, which memorialized Henry Hudson’s discovery of the Hudson River, a Rip Van Winkle float, and a float representing Sinbad and his East Indians (among many others). [2]
Similar themes appeared throughout the succeeding decades, but were slowly supplanted by themes derived from popular culture, including Hollywood, cartoons, and comics. When Disney and Macy’s came together in 1934, floats like the Pirate Ship with Donald Duck of 1946 appeared. A float representing Popeye the Sailor Man and Olive Oyl atop a large can of spinach also debuted this year, delighting crowds of people with some of their favorite television characters.[3] |
The Disney Parade float of 1969 |
The Jolly Polly Pirate Ship of 2002
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Today, many of the floats reflect pop-culture themes, and often even include celebrities from the shows they represent. For example in 2002, the kids-entertainment group known as The Wiggles sailed through the parade on their Jolly Polly Pirate Ship. In 1999, a float featuring the cast of Sesame Street appeared, complete with Muppets.
In addition to providing visual entertainment, the floats serve a promotional purpose. The floats representing a specific TV show are intended to advertise not only that show but the network that broadcasts it, and the toys fashioned after it.[4]
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Fisher-Price float of 2005
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Often, toy companies will sponsor floats overtly featuring their product, such as the Teddy Bear’s Workshop float, sponsored by Build-a-Bear Workshop®, “The Magic of Childhood” float by Fisher-Price (featuring enormous replicas of some popular pre-school toys), and Barbie’s “Princess and the Pauper” float by Mattel® (which advertised the dolls and their movie), all in 2005. [5] |
Food-product companies get in on the act too, and thus many floats depict popular kids’ foods (often junk-foods). Also in 2005 was the “Kids’ Candy Creation Lab” float sponsored by the Hershey Foods Corporation, which depicted a fantasy-land candy factory and pumped the smell of chocolate into the air along the parade route. Pillsbury debuted a float this same year, which it called “The Holiday Lovin’ Oven.” [6]
To add a touch of glamour, most floats come equipped with performers. Ranging from single celebrities to music groups and rock bands, these performers stand atop the float and may sing Christmas songs, songs reflecting the theme represented in the float, or their own hits to advertise new albums.
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Illustration of the Holiday Lovin' Oven float of 2005 |
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[Images]
Santa's sleigh image courtesy of: <http://www.nyctourist.com/macys_history1.htm>Copyright © 2005, NYC tourist.com. All Rights Reserved.
Disney image courtesy of: <http://www.nycvisit.com/content/index.cfm?pagePkey=805> © 2005 NYC & Company, Inc
Jolly Polly Pirate Ship image courtesy of: <http://fsmat.at/~bkabelka/travel/usa/trip2003.php?id=ny.parade.thnksgiv.11de>© Bernhard Kabelka 2003 – 2004
Fischer Price image courtesy of: <
http://home.businesswire.com>
© Business Wire 2005
Lovin' Oven image courtesy of: < http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/051017/175115.html?.v=1 > Copyright © 2005 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2005 Business Wire. All rights reserved.
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[Citations]
[1]"Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade History," New York City Vacation Package, n.d., <http://www.nycvp.com/frames/theater/thanksgiving_parade_info.htm> (6 December 2005).
[2] (New York Times 1938) Susanah
[3](New York Times 1946) Susanah
[4] "Cruising Down the Great White Way: The Floats and Falloons, the Driving Forces of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Hit the Road for their 79th Annual Ride," Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Floats and Falloons, n.d., <http://www.nyctourist.com/macys_news_falloons.htm> (6 December 2005)
[5] "Cruising Down the Great White Way: The Floats and Falloons, the Driving Forces of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Hit the Road for their 79th Annual Ride," Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Floats and Falloons, n.d., <http://www.nyctourist.com/macys_news_falloons.htm> (6 December 2005).
[6]
Susanah
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