For millions of Americans, Thanksgiving morning begins the same way: in front of a television, watching giant character balloons float down Manhattan’s streets while professional dancers, elaborate floats, and celebrity performers parade past.
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade drew over 31 million viewers across the U.S. last year, including about 3.5 million people who actually lined up on New York City’s streets to watch it in person. But this annual tradition didn’t come from some corporate strategy, but from an idea that Macy’s employees brought directly to company leadership over a century ago.
