Every Thanksgiving, the Macy’s Parade brings out a bunch of giant balloons, and this year the new ones are already starting drama. Some people think the characters are super cool, while others say they’re kind of unnecessary.
Junior Yazmine Cruz said she’s not really into the new lineup. She said she usually prefers the older balloons that everyone grew up seeing.
“They’re okay, but I don’t really care about them,” Cruz said. “Pac-Man as a balloon is kinda random. I just like the classic ones because that’s what I’m used to seeing every year.”
A lot of students say the parade feels like a tradition, so switching it up with video-game characters makes it feel different, and not everyone likes that.
Freshman Ariana Arreguin, however, thinks the new balloons are actually a good update.
“I think they’re cute,” Arreguin said. “Mario and Pac-Man are characters everyone knows, so it’s cool seeing them as giant balloons. It makes the parade more fun to watch.”
For some teens, the balloons aren’t a big deal, but they still help make the parade feel like part of the holiday. The mixed reactions aren’t new. People always have opinions about the new balloons every year.
“Even if I don’t love them, the parade still feels like Thanksgiving,” Cruz said.
Whether students like the new additions or think Macy’s should stick to the classics, the Thanksgiving Day Parade remains one of the most talked-about holiday traditions.
Written by senior Leslie Arreguin Zuniga . Edited by staff writers for Oswego East’s online news magazine The Howl.