Santa Claus parades, also called Christmas parades, are parades held in some countries to celebrate the official opening of the Christmas season with the arrival of Santa Claus who always appears in the last float.
The parades usually include themed floats, dancing or marching groups and bands playing Christmas songs. They are moving pageants that typically end near the centre of a city. Often sponsored by department stores, they may reinforce the store's brand recognition during the important Christmas shopping season.
Toronto Santa Claus Parade, one of the largest in the world, in 2007
A rocket ship float with Santa Claus during a Christmas parade in Los Angeles, 1940
Float at the 2011 Christmas parade in Mexico City
A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of some kind.
A Rio Carnival parade in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2005
A parade in Sydney to celebrate the Federation of Australia in January 1901
A parade float for Brigham Young University in the Freedom Festival Grand Parade in Provo, Utah
2013 World Championships in Athletics Parade of Nations at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia