St. Augustine Christmas Parade

It's the first Saturday in December in St. Augustine, Florida, time for the Christmas Parade! Last year it was like 90 degrees and 98 percent humidity. Marchers were wilting in the heat. Santa in his heavy red coat with white fur trim was on the verge of heat stroke. It was hard to tell if he was ho ho hoing or oh, oh, ohing gasping for breath. This year no one had that problem. It was 50 degrees out, a brisk breeze and a light drizzle. Now, 50 degrees for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade is considered just about balmy. But in Florida it is down right chilly!

I was watching a little girl, maybe four or five years old, watching the parade. She was all wrapped up in three sweaters and a knitted cap - and the parade. She watched the parade in rapt amazement. Mouth agape, big blue eyes wide open. I tried to imagine what this parade looked like to her, how she would remember this event in her life. I think it would be something like this:

"Mommy and daddy took me to see the Christmas parade. They found a spot right on the side of the big street. I sat on daddy's shoulders so that I could see everything. It was amazing!

There was a group of little girls, not much older than me, dressed in red stockings and frilly swimsuits. The spun these little sticks. They threw the sticks up in the air and caught them, almost every time! They looked like princesses in the cartoons!

And speaking of princesses, there was one woman sitting high up on a car without a top on it. She had a crown like a queen. She wore a red robe with white fur on the collar and cuffs. She held a huge bunch of roses in her lap. She looked so happy and so pretty!

Behind he was a bunch of bicycles that roared like thunder! I was so afraid. But I knew that daddy wouldn't let them hurt me. After they went by the air smelled funny. Kind of like rotten eggs.

Behind the thunder bikes was a whole lot of little girls and bigger girls dressed in stockings and little dresses. They must have wanted to see what was going on in front of them, because they were all standing on tip-toes.

A big boat came by on wheels. It had lots of men on it who looked like the bad guys in Peter Pan. They waved big guns and long knives at everyone. Then one of the guns went off. It was really loud and made a lot of smoke. I covered my ears. Then an even bigger gun went off. And it was even louder than the pistol was. I really covered my ears after that one and left my hands over my ears until the boat on wheels was far down the street!

Next there were some people from fairy tales. They had funny clothes and rode on huge ponies. The men looked like heroes in story books. The women looked like princesses and queens. There was one funny man behind them who had a strange hat with floppy points and many colors. He was pulling a little wagon and walking with a shovel like it was a walking stick. He smiled at me and danced a little dance for me. I think I love that man, he was so kind and so funny!

There was an old old car with big points on the back corners. In it was a man in a shiny white shirt and tight pants. He had a big curl of hair on the front of his head. He wiggled around a lot, but he also sang a pretty song about a Christmas being blue.

Then all of a sudden there were big old men in lots and lots of little cars. They were not good drivers. They beeped their horns a lot and went all over the road. Then a man in a tall red thimble on wheels drove up and had them old men drive further down the street. I felt a lot safer when they had gone by.

And then, and then, I saw someone I knew! It was Ronald McDonald in his big shoes and little red car! He gave my daddy a card to get some stuff free at McDonalds! Wasn't that just like Ronald, helping people, giving gifts!

Following Ronald was a truck pulling baby Jesus in the manger. The wise men were waving and smiling. Mary and Joseph were singing Silent Night! And then there was a big birthday cake. And people singing "Joy to the world"

Then there were some bears on leashes. There were black bears, brown bears, white bears and brown and white bears. They were on ropes, so I felt safe. Besides, daddy would protect me from the bears!

It was all so exciting! So many different people and things to see! And then, there he was! Santa! On the top of a long fire truck. He had on his red suit and he had a big bag that I knew was just filled with toys! He looked so happy. White beard and bigggg smile! This was the best Christmas Parade ever!"

That was how the little girl on the man's shoulders may have seen the parade. In reality, it wasn't much of a parade. But while other communities had eliminated their Christmas parades in the face of the 'financial realities' of this recession, St. Augustine kept its parade. Fewer marching bands and floats, but it was a parade and it did celebrate both the Christmas and the community spirit.

There were the baton twirlers in their skimpy outfits had a hard time catching their batons with gloves or frozen hands. Some of them were visibly shivering and their teeth were chattering. On the bright side they had very rosy cheeks! All four of them!

There was one local beauty queen riding in a convertible. She was the epitome of purity and wholesome, natural beauty. She was sitting on top of the back seat of the car wearing a Santa hat and a lovely wide smile. As the car drove by those in the front row of the spectators could also tell that she was wearing a thong under those tight red pants. But we could not tell the color of the thong, probably matching red in keeping with the spirit of the season!

There were about a dozen Harley motorcycles in one group. They revved up their engines creating a symphony of that patented Harley Davidson thunder! They would roar away a few feet and stop. Rev them up again, over and over again as the parade crept forward down the street. In addition to the noise, they created a large cloud of smoke in their wake. This group was Cyclers for Christ. Behind them was a group of little ballerinas choking on the fumes! They were carrying a banner promoting The American Lung Association's Smoking Cessation Program - 'for a healthy New Year and New Life!'

There was the St. Augustine 'Royal Family' on horseback. The ladies wore 17th century costumes with long skirts, high collared blouses. Being ladies, they rode sidesaddle. Behind them there was a peasant with a shovel and a trash can on wheels. And you thought your job was bad!

Although there were never any pirates in colonial St. Augustine, pirates are a big thing in 21st century St. Augustine. There were two pirate ship floats in the parade. Every once in a while some one would fire a flintlock rifle or pistol, this was followed by firing the deck cannon. Everyone on board the pirate ships looked like extras from Pirates of the Caribbean.

One float had an Elvis impersonator who was singing 'I'll have a blue Christmas without you'. But his song was drowned out by a fleet of miniature cars driven by senior citizens. There was beeping of horns, yelling and a few near-misses. Yes, the Shriners had arrived. The fleet of mini-cars was followed by one guy driving a motorized six-foot-tall fez!

There was a young man driving a tiny red car with golden arches on the side. He was dressed up and made up to look like Ronald McDonald. He would weave back and forth from one side of the street to the other, giving out McDonald Coupons. You could tell he was not a local resident. He had a New Jersey of Bronx accent. "So, this is St. Augustine, ahright! Yo, I'm lovin' it!"

There were the traditional Christmas floats. A flat-bed trailer with a living manger scene followed by a big birthday cake reminding people that this was a celebration of Christ's birthday. There were marching bands in green and red, with reindeer antlers on their heads and wearing Rudolph red noses on their noses.

A group of Newfoundland Hounds came next. I love these big furry dogs, but I still have no idea how they fit into the theme of Christmas.

And at the end of the parade was the hook and ladder fire truck with the jolly elf himself, Santa! The children who had been freezing through the rest of the parade suddenly came alive. They frantically waved, called out his name. Parents yelled out to Santa 'She's been a good girl this year" pointing to a little girl in a red and white winter coat. The girl's eyes were glazed with excitement and wonderment.

This made the whole parade an unmitigated success. Memories were made, traditions were continued. A good time was had by all in spite of the weather.