For 88 years, Macy’s has sponsored and put on a parade through New York City on Thanksgiving Day.

The tradition began in 1924 with a group of Macy’s employees walking the streets of New York accompanied by a few animals from the city zoo.

This Thanksgiving, an estimated 3.1 million people lined the streets of New York to view the 2.5 mile parade.

In addition to those witnessing the event in the cold, another 50 million are estimated to have watched it from their homes nationwide.

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade boasted a balloon line up of over 17 multistory balloons. In addition, 8,000 volunteers participated in this year event’s success.

The parade started as an event to celebrate and entertain the families of New York but on its 88th year it’s filled with commercials and promotions, yet has the most viewers yet. What does this say about the average American today?

The parade acts as a commercial for Macy’s most directly but also for every company that sponsors a float, singer, or balloon.

These companies spend millions of dollars so the 53 million, who see the parade in one form or another, will see their giant logo.

Americans nationwide sit down to watch a four-story Ronald McDonald float down the street. Watching advertisements has somehow become an event we look forward to on the day we give thanks.

What started as a parade to entertain the public of New York city, has turned into a world-wide two-hour commercial.