Thanksgiving Parade Scaled Down Due to COVID-19 Impact
Originating from Israel's 'Chomakjeol'...Started in 1620
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Hyun-woo] Due to the impact of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), it has been reported that the Thanksgiving Day parade scheduled to be held in the United States this November will be conducted as a pre-recorded event without a live audience. As COVID-19 continues to rage worldwide, there are concerns that holiday events such as Thanksgiving and Christmas in Western countries will suffer significant setbacks. Thanksgiving in the United States and Western countries, often compared to Korea's Chuseok, began in 1620 when Puritans who migrated from England to the American continent gave thanks to God for the year's harvest. The duration of the holiday varies slightly by country.
According to foreign media including NBC in the United States, on the 14th (local time), New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the 'Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade,' which was planned to be held on the fourth Thursday of November this year, will be conducted as a pre-recorded event without a live audience due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19. The Macy's parade, which started in 1924, has been held every Thanksgiving Day in Manhattan, New York.
The Macy's parade is the largest Thanksgiving festival in the United States, attracting millions of spectators every year with its giant character balloons, parade floats, marching bands, and celebrity performances. The TV broadcast of the event usually draws tens of millions of viewers. Macy's, the department store brand hosting the event, explained that this year's parade will be recorded over two days in advance and aired on TV on Thanksgiving Day.
The number of parade participants will be reduced to about 75% of previous years, and performers will comply with social distancing measures and wear masks or face coverings. The personnel who usually carry the large character balloons symbolizing the parade will be replaced by special vehicles. Mayor de Blasio said, "It won't be the parade we're used to," but added, "Macy's is reinventing the event to fit the current situation, so people will still be able to feel the festive atmosphere on the day."
Thanksgiving in the United States is known to have been celebrated since 1620. At that time, 102 English Puritans fled domestic persecution and crossed to the American continent aboard the Mayflower. More than half of them died due to epidemics and famine during the early settlement period. The survivors that year are said to have started the harvest thanksgiving festival together with Native Americans as part of their settlement.
Originally, Thanksgiving is believed to have originated from the Feast of Tabernacles mentioned in the Old Testament of the Bible. The Feast of Tabernacles was celebrated in ancient Israel to give thanks for the year's harvest and to commemorate the hardships of their ancestors who wandered the wilderness and tended livestock in tents. People would deliberately leave their homes, build booths in the fields, and live there for a week.
The Catholic Church does not specifically celebrate Thanksgiving, and it is only observed by Protestant churches. Protestant countries in Europe have different dates for the celebration depending on their denominations, so the Thanksgiving period varies widely even today. In the United Kingdom, August 1st is known as Thanksgiving Day. In Germany and Switzerland, it is celebrated in September, and in the Netherlands, it is observed on the Wednesday after the first Sunday of November. However, the United States is known to be the only country that holds a large-scale festival for the entire nation.
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