As the holiday season ramps up, many beloved yearly traditions have had to adapt to accommodate pandemic restrictions. Most recently, Thanksgiving Day parades cut their routes shorter and incorporated pre-recorded performances into their broadcasts. Black Friday was also much more subdued, with all of the sales being moved almost entirely online. Additionally, the New Year’s Eve ball drop to kick off 2021 has announced that it will be all virtual.
Every year, the two oldest Thanksgiving Day parades— the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade and the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day parade— have been staples of the holiday. Because of the pandemic restrictions, the Macy’s parade limited their usually 2.5 mile route to just one block and limited the amount of people participating. Live performances still took place in Macy’s Herald Square on 34th street, but with fewer people participating in ensemble performances in order to maintain social distancing. The iconic balloons, which usually require a total of 2000-3000 handlers to manage during the whole parade, were instead transported with specially rigged vehicles. Onlookers were discouraged, and there was no official in-person audience.
Philadelphia’s Thanksgiving Day celebration was much different than it has been in the past, shifting away from the traditional parade to better follow COVID-19 protocols. Instead, local channel 6abc held a celebration featuring messages from celebrities, pre-recorded performances, and clips from past parades. Since Philadelphia canceled all parades for the remainder of 2020 earlier in the year, Thanksgiving Day parade organizers have been working since June to assemble footage and make sure there was enough content throughout the program.
This year’s iconic New Year’s tradition of the ball drop at midnight on January 1st has been moved online. The plans still include live performances, although as of now, none have been confirmed for the event. There will not be the large crowds that gather in Times Square, with event organizers warning people that they will not be allowed to congregate in NYC for the celebration.
Although the pandemic may limit our interpersonal celebrations and it may seem like this holiday season does not have the same magic it usually does, organizers of classic events are doing their best to maintain the holiday spirit. Be sure to tune into the virtual ball drop to close out 2020!
https://whyy.org/articles/phillys-101st-thanksgiving-day-celebration-is-made-for-the-small-screen/
https://parade.com/1113334/alexandra-hurtado/macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-2020/
