3 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About the Thanksgiving Parade

There are certain traditions that indicate the holiday season has officially begun. For some, this is driving up to the mountains to pick out a Christmas tree. For others, it might be something a bit more chaotic, like frantically searching for Christmas gifts on Black Friday. And still, for others, it’s curling up on the couch, eyes glued to the T.V., marinating in the pure joy that is The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

If you watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade every year then you might consider yourself an expert by now-- thinking you know everything there is to know. But just to be sure, keep reading. Here are 3 things you might not know about the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade based on a fun new analysis.

1. The Cost

Maybe you’ve been watching the parade for so many years that you’re practically an expert on balloon history. But have you ever thought about how much it costs to fill all those balloons with helium? Or, have you ever tried to ball-park the total cost of the parade? The numbers might just surprise you. Each year, it costs about $500,000 to fill all the balloons with helium. As for the cost of the parade, it’s usually in the $11.6-13.4 million range.

2. The Weather

If you’ve ever attended the Parade in person or noticed all the bundled up parade-goers on t.v., you might have wondered what Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade weather has been like historically. The answer? It varies. If you made plans to go to the Parade back in 1996 or 1972, you would’ve needed lots of layers to combat the 28-degree weather. If you were at the 2004 parade, on the other hand, a light jacket would have sufficed as the temperature was just two degrees shy of 60. As for day-of snow, this has only happened once in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade History. Back in 1989, 5.4 inches of snow were reported, but the parade went on.

3. The Floats

Now, if you’re in it for the excitement of seeing the new floats each year, you should consider time-traveling back to 2015, when a record-breaking 10 new floats were introduced. 2004 and 2006 would have also been good years to attend given that 8 new floats were introduced in each parade.

As for celebrity float-toppers, have you ever noticed that male celebrities make more Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade appearances than females? It’s true. They’re actually 1.6 times more likely to appear on floats.

With Turkey Day right around the corner, you now have the perfect opportunity to put your new Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade knowledge to good use. Will you whip it out and impress a fellow parade-watcher? Or will you quietly watch the parade with even more appreciation than usual? The choice is yours.