Easter parade

The Easter parade is an American cultural event consisting of a promenade on Easter Sunday. The event is most closely associated with New York City, but smaller parades have often been held in other cities or for special constituencies. Persons participating in the Easter parade traditionally dress in fine new clothing, and strive to show it off to others. Starting as an informal event on New York City's Fifth Avenue in the 1870's, the parade became increasingly popular into the mid-twentieth century—in 1947, the New York event was estimated to draw over a million persons. By 2000 its popularity had declined significantly, with New York's parade drawing only about 30,000 people in 2008.