# Can those who watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade do me a simple favor please? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 24, 2010, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-those-who-watch-the-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-do-me-a-simple-favor-please/561826 "2010-11-24T23:23:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-those-who-watch-the-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-do-me-a-simple-favor-please/561826/1 "2010-11-24T23:23:28Z")
We lost both of my grandmothers this year. Mom’s mom the day after Christmas, and Dad’s mom 5 weeks later. My dad’s mom (we’ll call her Beastie, because… that’s what we called her) was a war bride; she met her husband, an American G.I. during the war; they married and she came over here to live, leaving her family behind. One of the things she remembered most about her first Thanksgivings here in the US was watching the parade, and how Santa Claus appears at the end. She would wave to Santa every time. She said it made her feel so American. I don’t know that she missed a year. Obviously, she will this year, and for some reason this makes me inordinately sad. It’s funny, the things that jump up out of nowhwere and hurt, isn’t it? This will be our first holiday without them and will be hard. But I was lucky to get to have two wonderful grandmothers who I got to know as an adult. So, if you happen to be watching the parade all the way to the end and you see Santa, can you give him a wave, from Beastie? ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-those-who-watch-the-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-do-me-a-simple-favor-please/561826/2 "2010-11-24T23:25:32Z")
Awwwww…now I HAVE to watch the parade! I rarely do. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-those-who-watch-the-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-do-me-a-simple-favor-please/561826/3 "2010-11-24T23:26:36Z")
got it ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-those-who-watch-the-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-do-me-a-simple-favor-please/561826/4 "2010-11-24T23:45:19Z")
Will do. ---
**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2010, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-those-who-watch-the-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-do-me-a-simple-favor-please/561826/5 "2010-11-25T12:50:50Z")
Thank you. You’ve warmed my heart. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2010, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-those-who-watch-the-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-do-me-a-simple-favor-please/561826/6 "2010-11-25T16:05:13Z")
I’m watching it on TV now–why is the parade in Chicago? When did this start? ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2010, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-those-who-watch-the-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-do-me-a-simple-favor-please/561826/7 "2010-11-25T16:32:25Z")
What parade are you watching? Maybe your local parade? We have a local in Philly too. But the Macy’s is in NYC, as usual. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2010, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-those-who-watch-the-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-do-me-a-simple-favor-please/561826/8 "2010-11-25T16:33:33Z")
I think Chicago started a competing parade a few years ago, **AG**. Flip around and you should be able to find Macy’s. Unless they time-delay it where you live, there’s still a half-hour to go. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2010, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-those-who-watch-the-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-do-me-a-simple-favor-please/561826/9 "2010-11-25T16:52:15Z")
Watching now. Santa’s on. Waving at him, and he’s waving back at. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2010, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-those-who-watch-the-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-do-me-a-simple-favor-please/561826/10 "2010-11-25T16:58:37Z")
> [@BubbaDog](#): > > got it Did it! God bless Beastie and all Grandma’s that have gone on. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2010, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-those-who-watch-the-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-do-me-a-simple-favor-please/561826/11 "2010-11-25T17:28:05Z")
Did it, too! Even made my wife and son come in the room to wave, for the extra vibes it would send (told them I’d explain later). God bless Beastie, Grandma, and my Nanas, too! ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2010, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-those-who-watch-the-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-do-me-a-simple-favor-please/561826/12 "2010-11-25T18:00:16Z")
I missed the parade but was touched by your sweet story, and now I have something in my eye, dammit. May you think of your grandmothers often and with warmth and laughter today. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2010, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-those-who-watch-the-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-do-me-a-simple-favor-please/561826/13 "2010-11-25T19:38:40Z")
I waved! ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2010, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-those-who-watch-the-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-do-me-a-simple-favor-please/561826/14 "2010-11-25T20:17:06Z")
My 7 year old son waved for you. ---
**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-those-who-watch-the-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-do-me-a-simple-favor-please/561826/15 "2010-11-26T14:48:10Z")
This is really touching. Thank you all. It’s such a silly thing, but she always talked about how she teared up when Santa came on because it reminded her of her first years here… We missed them both terribly but remembered them warmly yesterday, today and always. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-those-who-watch-the-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-do-me-a-simple-favor-please/561826/16 "2010-11-26T16:23:18Z")
i’m in philly where the oldest thanksgiving parade ends 4 blocks from my house. i waved and told santa beastie said hi! ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-those-who-watch-the-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-do-me-a-simple-favor-please/561826/17 "2010-11-26T17:02:26Z")
I waved. I trust it was OK that I had bread dough all over my hands. ---
**Author:** ![Tethered\_Kite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@Tethered\_Kite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tethered_Kite)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-those-who-watch-the-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-do-me-a-simple-favor-please/561826/18 "2010-11-26T19:46:54Z")
> [@Rasa](#): > > This is really touching. Thank you all. It’s such a silly thing, but she always talked about how she teared up when Santa came on because it reminded her of her first years here… > > We missed them both terribly but remembered them warmly yesterday, today and always. We lost both of the grandmas in our family this year also, **Rasa,** so I empathize with you. Making the turkey dressing with the bread knife used by three generations of women and where my MIL would have been sitting keeping me company made for a few tearful and nostalgic moments. And all those memories, both pleasant, and the lessor, are a gift I think. Hope your healing is timely and gentle. ---
**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-those-who-watch-the-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-do-me-a-simple-favor-please/561826/19 "2010-11-26T19:52:19Z")
Bread dough is more than acceptable! **Tethered Kite** , sorry to hear. I keep reminding myself how lucky I am to have had them in my life for 34 years. And it helps, but they were just the cornerstones of a small immediate family. Beastie always made cherry pie for the holidays, so for the first time in my life I made pie, one cherry and one pumpkin. I even did the lattice crust like she did–she’d always smile and say “there’s a trick to it!” when I’d ask, because I thought it must be so complicated… but she never did tell me how. I Googled, and laughed at how simple it really is. You all really have made my week. The thought of all these “strangers” waving to Santa for my grandma is wonderful.