Parade

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 some variety of celebration.

The term "parade" is also used in different contexts; for example, in the Canadian Armed Forces, "parade" is used both to describe the procession and in other informal connotations.

Protest demonstrations can also take the form of a parade, but these are usually referred to as a march instead.

History

The first parades date back to c. 2000 BC, for religious or military purposes. The Babylonians celebrated Akitu by parading their deities and performing rituals.

The oldest in the world is the Lord Mayor's Show which takes place in London the day after a new mayor is inaugurated and which was established in 1215.

To celebrate the federal government's victory in the American Civil War, 145,000 Union soldiers marched in a two-day Grand Review of the Armies in Washington, D.C. They passed before the President, the Cabinet, and senior officers from May 23–24, 1865.

During the Allied liberation of Europe towards the end of WWII in 1944–45, "victory parades" were a common feature throughout the recently liberated territories. For example, on 3 September 1944, the personnel of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division marched six abreast to the music of massed regimental pipe and drum bands through the streets of Dieppe, France, to commemorate the liberation of the city from German occupation, as well as commemorate the loss of over 900 soldiers from that formation during the Dieppe Raid two years earlier.