Since the 1920s, Hollywood has hosted its beloved Christmas Parade the week after Thanksgiving. Hollywood Boulevard is known for its hypnotizing lights and dynamism, but for the evening of the Hollywood Christmas Parade, a 3.5 mile stretch of Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard between Orange Dr. and Vine Blvd become animated in a manner incomparable to its regular daily hustle and bustle. The parade is always a star-studded event, and throughout the years it grew to include the USC Marching Band, equestrians, and an impressive guest list of celebrities and musicians. But the true highlight of the event — and one that is very appropriate to help kick off Christmas — is an appearance by Santa Claus on his sleigh. 

Yet, even century-old traditions unchanged in their public display and presentation are now required to become malleable as the entire world collectively battles the Coronavirus Pandemic. As an alternative to the live event this year, organizers opted for a televised event that highlighted the best of past events and celebrity guests. Since our collective focus is on healing, protection, and safety, this is an appropriate solution for viewers. (1) As we approach the tradition’s centennial, we are faced with the reality that the Pandemic lockdown may continue to impact live events and cultural practices for the foreseeable future. Therefore, we must reevaluate our understanding of what it means to preserve intangible heritage, and how we can ensure the survival of ritualistic practices that are intertwined with social activity and the built environment.

In 1928, businessman Colonel Harry M Baine and the Hollywood Boulevard Association took inspiration from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade to turn a one-mile stretch of Hollywood into Santa Claus Lane. The center of entertainment and culture was slowly shifting away from Downtown Los Angeles to Hollywood, and this was a clever marketing strategy to lure shoppers to Hollywood. (2) An extravagant display of a hundred living firs from the woods near Big Bear and holiday-themed decor dazzled guests on their holiday shopping sprees in Hollywood. When the sun went down, the boulevard was suddenly transformed with the bright lights of nearly ten thousand incandescent bulbs, guiding the pathway for Santa Claus and actress Jeanette Loff, who appeared in over 20 films including the controversial 1930 film Party Girl. (3) The event was so adored it quickly grew in popularity. As it grew and trends changed, the living firs were replaced with metallic decor and more floats were added to the procession. It was easy for Colonel Baine to convince businesses and celebrities to participate in subsequent parades; after all, free publicity was not something a star would turn down in Tinseltown. 

In 1931, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce adopted Santa Claus Lane as an annual event. The name was officially changed to the Hollywood Christmas Parade in 1978. (4) The Parade encompassed all aspects that were often associated with Hollywood — glamour, celebrity, and bright lights. With so many celebrities participating in the event, including such stars as Bette Davis and Mary Pickford, it was inevitable that the Parade would serve as inspiration for the growth of other cultural elements. For instance, Gene Autry was inspired to write “Here Comes Santa Claus” after hearing children exclaim “Here Comes Santa Claus!” as he strolled down Hollywood Boulevard with Champion the Wonder Horse.(5) The event is dynamic in its live nature and in its ability to inspire the development of new heritage, such as Autry’s song, that was quickly disseminated and consumed by the rest of the nation. The Hollywood Christmas Parade was not only part of Hollywoods’ heritage, it was part of the nation’s.

The Parade’s longstanding history and continuous operation is a testament to the significance of the tradition. Yet, even the Parade fell victim to the Coronavirus lockdowns. Due to the pandemic, in lieu of the traditional Hollywood Christmas Parade, the CW Network aired a two-hour television special featuring celebrities and special performances, including highlights of magical moments from past Christmas Parades. The pandemic has had a tremendous impact on our sense of “normal” - and some of this impact is irreversible. Although we yearn for the comfort of our past routines, it is important to reassess our expectations of events and practices that are contingent upon physical spaces. While we can easily find ways of making live events accessible and accommodating to the general public, heritage conservationists must concern themselves with the challenges of preserving intangible heritage when faced with necessary limitations such as the COVID-19 closures.

The Parade’s translation from the physical realm into a virtual event, especially under the strenuous timing and circumstances inflicted upon organizers due to the pandemic, is commendable. However, this does bring up a cause for concern in the preservation of intangible heritage like parades. Tangible heritage preservation is rooted in the physicality of spaces, such as buildings, national parks, and monuments. Intangible heritage consists of nonphysical aspects of culture including language, dance, food, and cultural ritualistic practices. The Christmas Parade is a prominent example of Hollywood’s intangible heritage. People do not just watch the procession of the Parade, but also experience it with the backdrop of Hollywood’s built environment. Guests are welcomed to line up in the streets to experience it for free with special tickets sold for better views of the parade. (6)

The guests are just as much a part of the entire event as the people participating in the procession. The heritage of the Hollywood Christmas Parade is not just in the procession of the parade itself, but the momentary activation of space, social interaction, and the relationship of people and performance with the built environment. 

The world is on an increasingly digitally reliant trajectory and even though we have walked on this path for quite some time, the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified our dependence on technology to an unprecedented extent. The transmutation of cultural consumption from the physical to the digital realm reflects the adaptable nature of the human spirit. However, the interplay of people, performance, and the built environment is an innate characteristic of live events. Even prior to the pandemic lockdowns, technology was already blurring the lines between the physical and virtual; televised events and live chat options were making participation more accessible, and in the process altering people’s physical experiences with live events. It may be too soon to anticipate how the Hollywood Christmas Parade might be impacted by the lockdowns in the next year, but it is inevitable that the rapid development of technology will challenge traditional experience and participation in ephemeral and intangible heritage. 

Ani Mnatsakanyan is a graduate student in USC’s Master of Heritage Conservation Program. She is also the Curator of Education and Engagement at the Museum of Neon Art in Glendale, CA. She is interested in LA architectural and neon history, transplanted/diasporan communities, and displaced heritage.

Endnotes

1 - The Hollywood Christmas Parade. Accessed December 13, 2020. https://thehollywoodchristmasparade.org/

2 - Masters, Nathan. “When Hollywood Boulevard Became Santa Claus Lane.” KCET. December 20, 2012. Accessed December 13, 2020. https://www.kcet.org/shows/lost-la/when-hollywood-boulevard-became-santa-claus-lane. That stretch of Hollywood Blvd was considered to be the “world’s largest department store.”

3 - Jeanette Loff was the first Hollywood star to participate in the parade.

4 - Harrison, Scott. “From the Archives: Previous Hollywood Christmas Parades.” LA Times. November 13, 2018. Accessed December 14, 2020. https://www.latimes.com/visuals/photography/la-me-fw-archives-previous-hollywood-christmas-parades-20181120-htmlstory.html#:~:text=Back%20in%20the%20late%201920s,renamed%20the%20Hollywood%20Christmas%20Parade. 

5 - “Gene Autry Christmas Song History.” 2020. Accessed December 13, 2020.https://www.geneautry.com/clubhouse/christmas/christmassongs.html 

6 - The Hollywood Christmas Parade. Accessed December 13, 2020. https://thehollywoodchristmasparade.org/

References

1 - “The Hollywood Christmas Parade.” https://thehollywoodchristmasparade.org/

2 - Masters, Nathan. “When Hollywood Boulevard Became Santa Claus Lane.” KCET. December 20, 2012. https://www.kcet.org/shows/lost-la/when-hollywood-boulevard-became-santa-claus-lane.

3 - Harrison, Scott. “From the Archives: Previous Hollywood Christmas Parades.” LA Times. November 13, 2018. https://www.latimes.com/visuals/photography/la-me-fw-archives-previous-hollywood-christmas-parades-20181120htmlstory.html#:~:text=Back%20in%20the%20late%201920s,renamed%20the%20Hollywood%20Christmas%20Parade.

4 - “Gene Autry Christmas Song History.” 2020. https://www.geneautry.com/clubhouse/christmas/christmassongs.html