Did You Know? – Never On Sunday

When January 1st falls on a Sunday… the world famous Tournament of Roses Parade is postponed to the following day.   For just the 15th time in parade’s 123 year history, the parade will be postponed to Monday, January 2nd.  “Why?” you might well ask.  Because the tradition is and has been “Never on Sunday”.

The policy of postponing the parade by a day when Jan. 1st falls on Sunday, first came into being in 1893, when New Year’s Day was a Sunday and officials decided to hold the Tournament of Roses events on the following Monday instead to avoid interfering with Sunday church services and possibly scaring horses that would be tied up outside churches along the parade route.

One benefit of that tradition this year will be that parade goers will avoid being rained on, as, though January 1st is predicted to be cold and rainy in Pasadena, California, January 2nd is expected to be chilly but dry.  The 2017 parade will feature 44 floats, 19 equestrian units with approximately 400 horses, and 22 marching bands. The Grand Marshals of the parade will be Greg Louganis, Janet Evans and Allyson Felix.  Literally hundreds of thousands of people will line the 5 1/2 mile parade route to watch the floats, the equestrians, and bands from all over the country and even the world.  And millions more will watch world wide via television from more than 100 international territories and countries.  What started as a small community event in Pasadena has truly become an international event.  According to the Tournament of Roses Association ” Today we think of Pasadena Rose Parade as an established event leading up to the Rose Bowl game. But in 1890, football was barely known (having been invented only a few years earlier). That the tradition has carried through is quite an accomplishment over many generations.”

Your chums have watched and enjoyed the parade in person over the years and we can tell you first hand there is truly nothing like it anywhere.  If you ever get the chance to see it in person, don’t miss it.  But watching via television in the comfort and warmth of your home is not a bad second choice.  So come the morning of January 2nd, grab some coffee, or a cup of tea, or cocoa, and watch what may arguably be the most famous parade in the world….the 128th Tournament of Roses Parade!