On November 28, more than 3.5 million people are expected to line the streets of New York City. They’ll look up to see Spider-Man, SpongeBob SquarePants, and other popular characters floating overhead. The giant balloons will be the biggest attractions in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The Macy’s department store put on its first parade in 1924 to try to boost sales around the holidays. Since then, the parade has been held every year except 1942, 1943, and 1944, when it was canceled because of World War II. Over the years, the giant balloons, colorful floats, and marching bands have made the parade a Thanksgiving tradition.
But the parade looked a lot different 100 years ago. Back then, it featured live animals from a local zoo, including bears, elephants, camels, and monkeys.