While the most common Thanksgiving Day tradition is undoubtedly enjoying a large turkey dinner with the family, one of the more famous traditions for the day is the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.

The annual event, now celebrating its 88th year, will be taking place once again with tons of live entertainment, wonderful floats and countless balloons flying through the sky on Thanksgiving Morning. And there is a reason this long-standing tradition is a favorite for New Yorkers who can attend the event live, as well as those around the country who gather around their televisions Thanksgiving Morning to watch it.

Here are our seven reasons we love the parade-and why we're excited for the 2014 celebration of all things Thanksgiving.

1. It's a tradition

The parade has been a Thanksgiving tradition from Macy's since 1926, and it's something whole families can enjoy together before they sit down for their annual dinner.

2. You can never be sure which celebrities may show up

Countless TV show and movie stars, as well as musicians and athletes, have participated in the parade festivities each year, either by riding on floats, or simply doing interviews with NBC commentators including Matt Lauer and Al Roker.

3. It allows families to watch something else other than football

Yes, football is a Thanksgiving tradition in its own right, but the parade has the ability to be more inclusive of all members of the family, since not everyone may be too keen on watching sports while waiting for their dinner.

4. It's something to look forward to every year

While we may already look forward to the holidays in general, the parade gives us something a little more exciting to look at until we begin to wish we never see food again.

5. The live performances add a more musical and fun element to the day

While other holiday celebrations have their own appropriate music specifically for the day, Thanksgiving is often overlooked by the mainstream music industry. So even though what we see at the parade isn't necessarily thanksgiving themed, we do get to see a wide mix of performances-from marching bands from all around the country, Broadway Shows, and some of our favorite recording artists. On tap for this year's parade are: Idina Menzel, MKTO, Lucy Hale, Kiss, Nick Jonas, The Madden Brothers, Quvenzhane Wallis, Meghan Trainor, Pentatonix, American Authors, and several others.

6. There are always new floats and balloons to look forward to

While some of the classics are always a pleasure to see, new balloons and floats continue to fascinate us every year, there are also always new ones to capture our interest year after year. This year, Macy's is unveiling six new huge balloons-including Paddington Bear, Pikachu, Pillsbury Doughboy, the Red Power Ranger, Skylanders Eruptor, and Thomas the Tank Engine.


7. It helps usher in the next big holiday

 The parade always ends with a special visit from Santa Claus every year-and with his appearance, we know it means that Christmas is finally coming.


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