ALT-3 Memories of Thanksgiving Parades

From 3arf

Everybody loves a parade, or so they say. As a kid I always looked forward to the day after Thanksgiving parade. Originally held during the daytime, the parade was moved to nighttime when the major merchants decided to stay open on Friday nights.

My grandfather's office was on the second floor of the Forum Building so my brothers and I could watch the parade in the warm comfort of his office. Being so high off the ground we could watch the approaching, huge balloon figures coming our way. Monstrous balloons placed on wood, flat beds with roller-skate wheels attached guided by men holding ropes tied to each corner of the wood platform. Every once in a while one of the balloons would go out of control slamming into a lamp post, breaking the glass or bending the pole.

In between the balloons passing by, there were high school and military marching bands, majorettes, and policemen and firemen as they were called at the time. There were magnificent floats, worked on for hours, with music playing and kids and adults dressed up to adorn the float. And, of course, most important of all was Santa in his sleigh as the finale. There were lots of people involved in getting the parade ready, with hundreds of others lining the streets in anticipation.

After the parade, we would walk to Breuners to see what wonderful creation was displayed in the front window. We would stand, with our noses pressed against the glass, looking at the Christmas scene. Breuners was quite inventive in their displays at the time.

The parade and Breuners' window traditionally started our holiday season with the selection of the Christmas tree being the next task. Douglas firs were the only acceptable kind of tree-none of those sparsely branched silver tips. If the tree was less than perfect, my father would ask for extra branches. Once the tree was put into the tree holder, mounted on plywood for balance, it would be thoroughly surveyed. My father would fill in the bare spots by drilling holes in the trunk with the old hand drill and then he would stuff the extra branches into the holes.

Once in a while the tree just would not stand right, so my father would secure it to the wall with string. Being a tile setter by trade if the tree was not perfectly aligned, it was not acceptable. There were times we kids thought the tree would never be ready for the stringing of the lights and the hanging of the ornaments waiting in the old trunk.

Our ornaments consisted of those purchased over the years along with many handmade treasures brought home by us kids, then proudly displayed on the tree. The final touch was the drenching of the tree with silver tinsel, thrown on by the handful, giving the perfect tree a shimmering effect. With the tree done we enjoyed the rest of our holiday until the tree was taken down on New Year's day.

Just how much things have changed over the years became quite evident while attending the recent downtown, holiday parade following Thanksgiving this year. Not having attended this parade for at least 25 years, I was saddened by the plight of the wonderful parade of days gone by.

Having been absent for so long, I did not see the evolution of the decline of the parade over the years There were no big balloons, almost no marching bands, no wonderful floats and virtually no holiday music. The military was highly underrepresented and there were long waits throughout, which grew longer as the parade continued.

The police and fire departments were well represented, along with the canine community. The Shriners in their go carts and the unicycle groups were fun to watch. There were a few community groups, vans representing the parade sponsors and beauty queens in Corvettes-and yes, Santa and Mrs. Claus came along at the end. My young grandchildren, having only been to a couple of small town parades, had a great time. Their memories of the parade when they were small will be much different from mine at that age.

Now that most Christmas trees are purchased in boxes, there is no longer the joy of picking out the tree as a family. Designer and theme trees come in all sizes, shapes and colors. Those wonderful childhood creations often do not find a place on the designer tree as they don't match the theme of the tree. And heaven for bid that you would ever put one of those red and green colored paper chains on a designer tree. Pine scented spray and candles can never replace the wonderful odor of a freshly cut tree.

Life continues to evolve, with each new generation growing up with their own favorite childhood memories. When they are my age, my grandchildren may remember what a live Christmas tree looks like, even though they may never own one. The parade may have lost its audience and the bands may be silenced. By then Christmas dinner may be held at a fast food restaurant during which time, my grandchildren will be complaining to their grandchildren, about how much the holidays have changed- for the worse.

Rather than complain about how things have changed, this year take your grandchildren or neighborhood kids to pick out a small fresh tree cut just for kids. Gather up the supplies to make those original tree creations. Teach them to string popcorn and cranberries to wind around the tree. After the tree is decorated, pop in some cookies, turn on the Christmas music and have yourself a very Merry Christmas. What a great way to relive old memories and to give the children in your life, memories of those wonderful traditions of days gone by.

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