The Great Santa Claus Christmas Parade…1960

The downtown area was dreamy with lights and fake snow on the windows of the merchants. The lampposts were decorated with whimsical images of wooden candles all hand painted plywood. When there was snow falling, it made it magic. Almost every kid was wearing rubber buckle black boots and a black or brown trooper hat except that the outside of the hat was plastic... a real sweat maker. Full length parkas were the style chosen by the mothers for the rosy faced children. We waited until we saw any commotion near the post office. 

The lead of the parade was a marching band playing real Christmas music. Then as the kids would start going nuts, the many horses would follow and all the riders were stiff from the cold but frozen in the correct position. Various floats would be throwing 6 inch candy canes. Most would shatter when they hit the ground but kids didn’t care. We knew that when we met Santa at the firehouse we would get a shiny apple or a big chocolate bar. 

At the very end of the parade the big red fire truck would haul Santa (the best the town could rent)—by then approximately a third of the little kids had wetted their pants. We would all march down to the firehouse and line up again for the opportunity to sit on Santa’s lap to demand our most favorite toy for Christmas. Most of the time Santa would say “Well, I think I have to talk with your mother about this... a sign of noncommittal!  Gee, all most of us wanted was a gift costing something over five hundred dollars. It was our moment and we always aimed for the moon. If we did not get the gift of choice Christmas morning, some of the more intelligent kids would blame their mothers. We accepted the red apple or candy bar and got off Santa’s wet knee and hoped for the best. 

The merchants did a great thing for us making the downtown look so pretty and homey. In the few weeks that followed the parade, we all shopped local for Christmas. I usually purchased my gifts from the Ben Franklin dime store. My choices for my parents and grandparents were usually tableware such as hot deals on glass personal ashtrays... everyone smoked then at the time. Parades stimulate the creative spirit of kids at Christmas. I remember one year Santa was pulled by a tractor. He was in an old big wooden rowboat painted green. The fire truck must have not been running. Santa was wearing a fake beard made of cotton balls. The town must of got a real deal on that rented Santa. But we got over the shock and had Christmas anyway. 

Hug your kids, love your neighbor, and be thankful that we have a wonderful little town.