On Thanksgiving morning in 1924, Macy’s department store in New York City held a parade to drum up business and publicity. The theme was Christmas (and shopping for gifts).

Store employees dressed in outrageous costumes and walked six miles from Harlem down to the Macy’s flagship store in Herald Square, accompanied by festive floats and animals from the Central Park Zoo.

The first parade ended with Santa Claus ascending to a golden throne above the store’s entrance and inviting thousands of customers to come and shop.

The parade was such a success that it became an annual tradition.

Some participants were less than enthused, however. The zoo animals, accustomed to life in captivity, often became cranky and irritable on the long march. They were soon replaced by more pliable creatures — massive balloon animals, the first of which was Felix the Cat in 1927.

In a tradition that has since been discontinued, at the end of each parade the balloons were released and allowed to drift away in the wind. Anyone who recovered a balloon and returned it to Macy’s would receive a gift.

Today, the parade route has been shortened to 2.5 miles. The route is lined with more than 3.5 million spectators, and viewed on television by 50 million.

The parade has become such an institution that it is commonly referred to simply as the “Macy’s Day Parade."