I love a parade. I always have and probably always will.I don’t know if it’s the ‘pomp and circumstance’ or the bright colors of the floats. Maybe it’s the sound of the trumpets and trombones of the bands playing Christmas carols. Or maybe it’s that the Christmas parade signals the start of the Christmas season. Whatever the reason, I was excited to join my sister in taking my 3-year-old niece Lynley to her first Raleigh Christmas parade.
This was the first year I’ve been in years — and years — and it brought back so many memories of a favorite tradition from my childhood. Every year, my mom would bundle me up and together we would brave the cold and the wind to go downtown early in the morning, claim our spot and watch the parade. It was so much fun to be able to renew that tradition with my family and watch this year’s parade through Lynley’s eyes. She gave new meaning to the phrase ‘wide-eyed wonder’ as she shrieked with glee and excitement as the bands, floats, horses and especially Santa passed by.
Here is a picture of my sister and Lynley excitedly waiting for the parade to begin. And a slideshow from Raleigh’s 65th annual Christmas parade:
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