Santa Claus parade facts for kids

The Toronto Santa Claus Parade, a huge parade, in 2007

Santa Claus parades, also known as Christmas parades, are fun events held in many countries. They celebrate the start of the Christmas season. The most exciting part is when Santa Claus appears on the very last float!

These parades often feature colorful floats with different themes. You'll also see dancing groups, marching bands, and people playing cheerful Christmas songs. They are like moving shows that usually finish in the middle of a city. Big stores often help pay for these parades. This helps people remember the store during the busy Christmas shopping time.

The History of Christmas Parades

A rocket ship float with Santa Claus during a Christmas parade in Los Angeles, 1940

Christmas parades have a long and interesting history. They are similar to ancient Roman Triumphs. These Roman events were big celebrations with music, banners, and wagons. They ended with a leader riding in a special chariot.

Just like the Roman leader, Santa Claus always rides in his sleigh. It's pulled by eight reindeer, which is the big finish of every Santa Claus parade! The Roman Triumphs were inspired by ceremonies honoring their gods. So, Santa Claus parades are like a modern "triumphal entry" for Santa himself.

Famous Santa Claus Parades Around the World

A float at the 2011 Christmas parade in Mexico City.

Santa Claus parades are very popular, especially in North America. Here are some of the most well-known ones:

Peoria, Illinois: America's Oldest Santa Parade

The city of Peoria, Illinois, has the longest-running Santa Claus Parade in the United States. It celebrated its 131st parade on November 23, 2018. The very first parade in 1887 was actually boats and cranes on the river! This was to celebrate a new bridge being built.

In 1888, Peoria held a parade through town for the bridge's completion. The next December, a store owner named Frederick Block sponsored a parade. It followed the same path and featured Santa Claus. This idea of a department store sponsoring a parade became very popular. Over the years, the Peoria parade has had fireworks, circus wagons, live reindeer, and many floats. It was first shown on TV in 1958.

Toronto, Canada: A Giant Celebration

One of the biggest parades is the Toronto Santa Claus Parade in Toronto, Canada. It happens every year in mid-November. It started in 1905, thanks to the Eaton's department store. That year, Santa arrived by train and walked to the Eaton's store downtown.

The first parade float appeared in 1908. It was a truck with a band to play music for Santa. Today, this parade has over 24 floats, 24 bands, and 1,700 people taking part. It is even shown on TV in many different countries!

Vancouver, Canada: Helping Others While Celebrating

In Vancouver, the Rogers' Santa Claus Parade is also very large. It features 65 floats and bands. A special train travels through the parade. This train collects food for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank. It also gathers toy donations for the Lower Mainland Christmas Bureau. In 2005, the parade collected over 4,300 kg (9,500 lb) of food and 2,300 toys.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: A Thanksgiving Tradition

The Gimbels Department Store in Philadelphia started its parade in 1920. This parade is now called the 6abc Dunkin' Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade. It used to be sponsored by IKEA and Boscov's. This is the oldest parade in the United States held on Thanksgiving Day. The older Peoria parade is held the day after Thanksgiving.

New York City: Famous for Giant Balloons

In New York City, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade began in 1924. It is famous for its huge helium-filled balloons. This parade was inspired by the Eaton's parade in Toronto. Early parades had Macy's employees in costumes. They even borrowed animals from the Central Park Zoo!

The giant balloons appeared early on, with Felix the Cat in 1927. The night before the parade, watching the balloons get inflated has become a fun tradition. Many people gather in the streets near the American Museum of Natural History to see them.

Detroit, Michigan: Unique Papier-Mâché Heads

Also in 1924, the J. L. Hudson Company held its first Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit, Michigan. A special feature was large papier-mâché heads. These were inspired by heads seen in Italy. These unique heads are still a part of the annual event today. Hudson's sponsored the parade until 1979. Then, a non-profit group took it over. In 1983, it became the Michigan Thanksgiving Parade. Today, it is known as America's Thanksgiving Parade.

Grand Rapids, Michigan: A Historic Santa

Grand Rapids, Michigan's yearly Santa Claus parade is now called the Art Van Santa Parade. In 1971, it made history. It was the first parade to end with the arrival of an African-American Santa Claus.

Hollywood, California: The Song Inspiration

The Hollywood Christmas Parade in Southern California is a holiday tradition. It used to be called The Santa Claus Lane Parade. This parade is a bit like the Rose Parade and the Doo Dah Parade. The famous Christmas song "Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)" was written by Gene Autry. He got the idea after hearing children at the parade yell "Here Comes Santa Claus!" when they saw Santa in the distance.

Mexico City: Artificial Snow and TV Broadcasts

As part of its big Christmas celebrations, Mexico City holds a parade on Eje Central. This event is called Gran Festival Navideño. The 2011 parade had special machines that blew artificial snow! This made it feel even more like Christmas for everyone watching. This parade has been shown on TV networks like Televisa and Azteca. Televisa's coverage is the official one. It is broadcast in other Spanish-speaking countries and on Galavision in the United States.

Australia: Christmas Pageants

In other places, especially in Commonwealth countries outside Canada, Santa Claus parades are often called Christmas pageants. The biggest one is the Adelaide Christmas Pageant in Australia. It started in 1933 and happens every November.

See also

• Santa's Grotto – a special place, often in a store, where an actor playing Santa Claus gives gifts to children
• SantaCon – an annual event where people dress up in Santa suits and visit different places
• Cavalcade of Magi – a parade with floats showing the Biblical wise men