The smashed pumpkin remains have barely been cleared from people’s porches and the first holiday announcement is already sitting in my inbox.
Global Television just sent out a press release for the, get this, 104th annual Santa Claus Parade, which must officially mean that it’s almost “That Time of Year.”
Parades aren’t normally my kind of thing, but it seems like I find myself tuning into the Santa Claus Parade for at least a few minutes every year. It’s also just such a cool, old tradition – which still makes me feel a little but like a kid.
I also feel a bit of Canadian pride knowing that this grand old tradition is getting picked up around the world. Okay, in New Zealand, Australia, and Norway, but that still makes this a very cool export. After all, the North Pole is in Canada, right? Which must make Santa Canadian too. Which totally makes sense if you think about the image of Canadians around the world.
Anyway, the added fun bit is that if you miss the parade on TV, you can watch it on Global’s website. I’m not sure I really would watch it online, but it’s kind of fun that it’s there all the same.
For most of Canada (Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta), the parade will air on Sunday, November 16th from 4:00 to 5:30 pm local time. Otherwise, in British Columbia and the east coast, the parade airs on Sunday, November 23rd at the same time.
Now, over the next few weeks, I just have to wait and see what The Bay’s Queen Street store does for their holiday windows. I’ve only been in Toronto a while, but it’s already a tradition to walk past – especially on some snow-tinged evening after shopping along Yonge Street.
You can find more about the parade on the official (although horrifyingly outdated) website and the parade will go live on Global’s website on November 17th.