From the depths of the University of South Carolina’s digital library comes this rip in spacetime, showing us footage of the 1927 Macy’s Christmas Parade.

Two years before the Great Depression, on Thanksgiving Day, countless pigs held signs and toy soldiers marched alongside rudimentary floats, while at least one guy dressed as a rooster. And there was some kind of terrifying long-necked bird.

Clowns, stiltwalkers, a dachshund. Giant weird heads. They had it all.

1927 was the first year they used balloons in their parade, but you won’t see any in this footage. Only a booming America and cheering crowds, oblivious to the looming crash around the corner.

In previous years, they used live animals from the Central Park Zoo. I guess that was a bit too much to handle. The first character to get a balloon was Felix the Cat, filled with regular air instead of helium, and held up by poles. When it was all over, the balloons were let go, and they eventually just…popped.

Last Updated: Jan 1, 2026 3AM Finds Published: Jan 1, 2026