1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:03,720 Speaker 1: Ah, Thanksgiving my favorite holiday of all. You know why 2 00:00:04,200 --> 00:00:07,280 Speaker 1: because it's all about gratitude rather than what we get, 3 00:00:07,560 --> 00:00:10,760 Speaker 1: although we do get an amazing amount of food. Thanksgiving 4 00:00:10,880 --> 00:00:14,280 Speaker 1: is definitely packed with tradition. But here's the thing, a 5 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:17,040 Speaker 1: lot of those traditions, like when it takes place, what 6 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:20,800 Speaker 1: we eat and the all important Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, 7 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:25,320 Speaker 1: sort of spontaneously happened and then evolved from there. I'm 8 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:33,640 Speaker 1: Patty Steele unpacking Thanksgiving. Next on the backstory, We're back 9 00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:36,680 Speaker 1: with the backstory. Last year, we did a deep dive 10 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:40,440 Speaker 1: into our Thanksgiving traditions and it was a really popular episode, 11 00:00:40,479 --> 00:00:43,120 Speaker 1: so I thought we would share it again, but freshen 12 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:46,200 Speaker 1: it up a bit. Plus on the follow up episode, 13 00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:48,519 Speaker 1: which is coming out in just a few days, just 14 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:52,519 Speaker 1: in time for Native American Heritage Day on Friday, the 15 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:56,120 Speaker 1: twenty ninth of November. A listener suggested we look at 16 00:00:56,160 --> 00:01:00,680 Speaker 1: Thanksgiving from that perspective, so please check that out as well. 17 00:01:00,800 --> 00:01:05,480 Speaker 1: Thanksgiving is all about food, family and festivity, but most 18 00:01:05,480 --> 00:01:08,640 Speaker 1: of all, it's about gratitude. But how did the way 19 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:12,120 Speaker 1: we celebrate start? Well, we know the story of the 20 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:17,760 Speaker 1: first Thanksgiving in sixteen twenty one, but family feasts with turkey, overeating, 21 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:21,560 Speaker 1: parades all came a whole lot later. The whole idea 22 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:25,039 Speaker 1: of a feast this time of year actually originated with 23 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:28,880 Speaker 1: immigrants who were used to harvest festivals in laid autumn 24 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:32,200 Speaker 1: in their mother countries. As for what we eat, well, 25 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:35,280 Speaker 1: it turns out the first Thanksgiving in our parts may 26 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:38,959 Speaker 1: or may not have involved turkey. Historians say that the 27 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:43,319 Speaker 1: first feast was likely roasted deer, ducks and geese, but 28 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:46,319 Speaker 1: not so much turkey. There were a lot of wild 29 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:49,760 Speaker 1: turkeys across the Northeast in those early days, but the 30 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:53,760 Speaker 1: feast was more about whatever was close at hand. Eventually, 31 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:58,000 Speaker 1: on farms, turkeys were only raised for meat, unlike cattle, 32 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:01,000 Speaker 1: which we got our milk from, or even chickens which 33 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:04,760 Speaker 1: provided eggs, so they were always handy for the dinner table. 34 00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:07,920 Speaker 1: But this is pretty funny. We think the role of 35 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:12,079 Speaker 1: influencer is brand new. We I'll think again. Ultimately, one 36 00:02:12,120 --> 00:02:16,399 Speaker 1: of the drivers for roasted turkey was actually the popularity 37 00:02:16,480 --> 00:02:19,760 Speaker 1: of a British story from Charles Dickens, a Christmas carol 38 00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:24,040 Speaker 1: where a giant turkey is celebrated as the ultimate Christmas feast. 39 00:02:24,680 --> 00:02:28,320 Speaker 1: The story published in eighteen forty three was so incredibly 40 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:31,920 Speaker 1: popular it made Turkey the star of the show for 41 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:35,760 Speaker 1: most feasts by the mid eighteen fifties. Now, why do 42 00:02:35,919 --> 00:02:39,880 Speaker 1: we celebrate Thanksgiving when we celebrate it? Well, through the 43 00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:44,040 Speaker 1: seventeen hundreds and into the eighteen hundreds, Day of Thanksgiving, 44 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:47,360 Speaker 1: as it called it was set aside it various different times, 45 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:50,680 Speaker 1: most likely in October for the harvest. But in eighteen 46 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:55,840 Speaker 1: sixty three Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday and 47 00:02:55,960 --> 00:02:59,360 Speaker 1: set it for the last Thursday in November, coinciding with 48 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 1: the dates that the Pilgrims arrived in Plymouth two hundred 49 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:06,359 Speaker 1: and forty three years earlier. But it wasn't until nineteen 50 00:03:06,440 --> 00:03:10,440 Speaker 1: thirty nine that Thanksgiving was permanently set as the fourth 51 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:14,200 Speaker 1: Thursday in November, so as to stretch the holiday shopping 52 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:17,000 Speaker 1: season in years where it may have come late in 53 00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:20,680 Speaker 1: the month. In fact, this year, Thanksgiving is on November 54 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:24,400 Speaker 1: twenty eighth, literally the latest date it could possibly be 55 00:03:24,919 --> 00:03:28,400 Speaker 1: and still be just the fourth Thursday of November. And 56 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:32,200 Speaker 1: what about the iconic Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Well, if 57 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:35,360 Speaker 1: you're like me, maybe you have vivid memories of going 58 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:38,200 Speaker 1: to the parade, or the balloon inflation the night before 59 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:40,840 Speaker 1: that was always really fun. Or sitting in front of 60 00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:44,560 Speaker 1: the TV Thanksgiving morning watching the parade while your mom 61 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:48,280 Speaker 1: and dad or various relatives began the process of getting 62 00:03:48,280 --> 00:03:50,560 Speaker 1: the turkey in the oven. I've done the same thing 63 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:53,840 Speaker 1: with my kids. For me, it wouldn't feel like Thanksgiving 64 00:03:54,080 --> 00:03:57,520 Speaker 1: without a peek at the parade. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day 65 00:03:57,520 --> 00:04:01,560 Speaker 1: Parade actually began exactly one hundred years ago. This year 66 00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:05,920 Speaker 1: it's nineteen twenty four, the roaring twenties. In the heart 67 00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:09,880 Speaker 1: of New York City. Macy's department store wanted to celebrate 68 00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 1: its success and also thank customers for their shopping loyalty. 69 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:19,960 Speaker 1: Inspired by festive European traditions, Macy's employees, lots of recent 70 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 1: immigrants among them, suggested a parade. Imagine the scene, brilliant costumes, 71 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:30,200 Speaker 1: floats made mostly with flowers, and marching bands. In those days, 72 00:04:30,279 --> 00:04:33,160 Speaker 1: there were no balloons, so they borrowed animals for the 73 00:04:33,200 --> 00:04:37,680 Speaker 1: parade from the Central Park Zoo. Yeah, there were elephants, camels, 74 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:41,280 Speaker 1: and bears marching down New York City streets with two 75 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:45,159 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty thousand people on the sidelines. The parade 76 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:48,520 Speaker 1: route was six miles long. It was a huge way 77 00:04:48,560 --> 00:04:52,080 Speaker 1: to kick off the holiday season and it grew every year, 78 00:04:52,520 --> 00:04:55,520 Speaker 1: but nineteen twenty seven, just three years later, was a 79 00:04:55,560 --> 00:04:59,520 Speaker 1: pivotal year. That was when they introduced the first giant 80 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:03,680 Speaker 1: balloon to replace the hard to manage animals, especially the bears. 81 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:07,320 Speaker 1: Felix the Cat was the first balloon, although it wasn't 82 00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:11,000 Speaker 1: helium filled, handlers held it up by poles and carried 83 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:14,680 Speaker 1: it through the city streets. By the nineteen thirties, helium 84 00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:18,320 Speaker 1: allowed the balloons to soar, and each year more balloons 85 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:22,120 Speaker 1: representing the pop culture of the day appear. Now the 86 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:25,080 Speaker 1: thing about the parade is it's pretty much always been there, 87 00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:28,800 Speaker 1: in good times and bad. The Depression years were difficult, 88 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:32,240 Speaker 1: but Macy's continued with it since it provided a much 89 00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:35,400 Speaker 1: needed escape and a little bit of happiness for folks 90 00:05:35,440 --> 00:05:39,000 Speaker 1: in tough times. World War II paused the parade from 91 00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:42,440 Speaker 1: nineteen forty two to nineteen forty four, when the rubber 92 00:05:42,520 --> 00:05:45,839 Speaker 1: and helium for the balloons was donated to the war effort. 93 00:05:46,560 --> 00:05:49,400 Speaker 1: But on its return in nineteen forty five, it was 94 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:52,479 Speaker 1: on TV for the very first time, and there wasn't 95 00:05:52,560 --> 00:05:56,320 Speaker 1: much TV. Then that was the moment. Families across the country, 96 00:05:56,560 --> 00:05:59,240 Speaker 1: if they had access to a TV, were able to 97 00:05:59,360 --> 00:06:03,680 Speaker 1: experience the magic. It's such an important part of our traditions. 98 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:07,240 Speaker 1: Even the pandemic didn't totally shut it down. In what 99 00:06:07,440 --> 00:06:10,800 Speaker 1: was kind of a stealth operation to keep crowds from gathering, 100 00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:15,000 Speaker 1: Macy's brought various floats and balloons to different areas of 101 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:19,000 Speaker 1: New York City and filmed segments ahead of time, stitching 102 00:06:19,040 --> 00:06:22,760 Speaker 1: it together for a broadcast that calmed people's nerves. That 103 00:06:22,839 --> 00:06:24,960 Speaker 1: had to be stealth about it, though, because they didn't 104 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:28,600 Speaker 1: want to draw crowds. So this parade is not just 105 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:32,080 Speaker 1: about the balloons and the floats. It's about the generations 106 00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:35,159 Speaker 1: of families who have lined the streets of Manhattan, the 107 00:06:35,240 --> 00:06:38,919 Speaker 1: performers and artists on its floats and stages, and the 108 00:06:38,960 --> 00:06:42,760 Speaker 1: countless folks behind the scenes who've brought this glittering show 109 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:46,640 Speaker 1: to life year after year, not to mention those of 110 00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:49,240 Speaker 1: you and us who sit in front of the TV 111 00:06:49,480 --> 00:06:52,880 Speaker 1: to watch it every Thanksgiving morning. As we watch the 112 00:06:52,920 --> 00:06:56,440 Speaker 1: balloons navigate the city's canyons, we have to remember the 113 00:06:56,520 --> 00:06:59,760 Speaker 1: journey from a simple heartfelt gesture by a group of 114 00:06:59,839 --> 00:07:04,680 Speaker 1: men Macy's employees to a beloved national phenomenon. The Macy's 115 00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:07,960 Speaker 1: Thanksgiving Day Parade is a testament to the power of 116 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:13,560 Speaker 1: imagination and the enduring appeal of shared joy, wonder and tradition. 117 00:07:14,440 --> 00:07:18,800 Speaker 1: The parade has become a cultural touchstone, linking generations by 118 00:07:18,840 --> 00:07:22,080 Speaker 1: reflecting our heritage and also the times in which we live. 119 00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:26,080 Speaker 1: From the Roaring twenties to the digital age, the parade 120 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:30,280 Speaker 1: has been a constant, evolving with us while maintaining its 121 00:07:30,360 --> 00:07:34,520 Speaker 1: wonder and excitement and letting us share some innocence. So, 122 00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:39,360 Speaker 1: however you celebrate, whoever you're celebrating with, whatever you're feasting on, 123 00:07:40,080 --> 00:07:43,120 Speaker 1: remember that Thanksgiving is simply a day to think about 124 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:46,840 Speaker 1: what you're grateful for. And please don't forget to check 125 00:07:46,880 --> 00:07:49,720 Speaker 1: out the next episode, which is a look at what 126 00:07:49,800 --> 00:08:03,480 Speaker 1: Thanksgiving means to Native Americans. Hope you're enjoying the backstory 127 00:08:03,480 --> 00:08:06,640 Speaker 1: with Patty Steele. Follow or subscribe for free to get 128 00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:11,080 Speaker 1: new episodes delivered automatically, and feel free to DM me 129 00:08:11,160 --> 00:08:12,840 Speaker 1: if you have a story you'd like me to cover. 130 00:08:13,080 --> 00:08:17,040 Speaker 1: On Facebook, It's Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele. 131 00:08:19,280 --> 00:08:24,080 Speaker 1: I'm Patty Steele. The Backstories a production of iHeartMedia, Premiere Networks, 132 00:08:24,240 --> 00:08:28,120 Speaker 1: the Elvis Durand Group, and Steel Trap Productions. Our producer 133 00:08:28,200 --> 00:08:31,480 Speaker 1: is Doug Fraser. Our writer Jake Kushner. We have new 134 00:08:31,520 --> 00:08:35,040 Speaker 1: episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Feel free to reach out 135 00:08:35,080 --> 00:08:38,520 Speaker 1: to me with comments and even story suggestions on Instagram 136 00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:41,760 Speaker 1: at Real Patty Steele and on Facebook at Patty Steele. 137 00:08:42,160 --> 00:08:45,120 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to the Backstory with Patty Steele. The 138 00:08:45,200 --> 00:08:48,160 Speaker 1: pieces of history you didn't know you needed to know.