Rick Liblong: Remembering Thanksgiving traditions 

Wow, time flies faster as I get older. I blink and a week has gone by. I wake up from a nap and it’s a new month. Here we are in November again. Shorter days, colder nights and winter looming. I can’t say November is my favorite month. 

However, November means the Thanksgiving holiday, which is one of my faves. From the time I was a toddler until I was in college, there were three traditions that I knew I could count on Thanksgiving Day. 

The first was that at 9 a.m., I could turn on our black-and-white television set and watch the J.L. Hudson’s Thanksgiving Day Parade from downtown Detroit. Hudson’s was a giant, 25-story retail department store on Woodward Avenue that closed in 1983.

Even in living black and white, the parade was fun to watch. There were hundreds of marchers wearing costumes, with many wearing papier-mâché heads of various characters. Clowns were everywhere, bands from all over Michigan marched and played, and floats were many and elaborate. Mother Goose is one I remember clearly. I also remember the Doodlebug, a long, polka-dotted green caterpillar powered by a small farm tractor hidden inside its head as it snaked its way down Woodward. Often Detroit celebrities would be seen marching or riding in cars or on floats. 

But the best part of the parade was always with the appearance of the jolly old elf himself, Santa Claus. He was ho, ho, ho-ing from a long float complete with sleigh and reindeer. His helper, Christmas Carol, had arrived earlier and joined him on Hudson’s marquee. Together they were welcomed by the Mayor of Detroit who presented Santa with a key to the city and “to the hearts of all good little boys and girls everywhere.” 

Oh, how I wanted to go see the parade in person, but my dad did not want to fight the crowds, so we watched the telecast instead. 

Great fun, indeed. The parade is still a part of Thanksgiving in downtown Detroit, now known as America’s Thanksgiving Parade. 

The second tradition I remember is the Detroit Lions Thanksgiving Day game. Starting in 1934, and every year since (except 1939-44, the war years), the Lions play not long after the parade ends. For years, they played at old Tiger Stadium. I was lucky enough to attend two of the holiday games. They then moved to the Pontiac Silverdome and now to Ford Field. Their record in this annual classic is 38 wins, 46 losses and two ties. 

For years, the Lions game was the only NFL game on Thanksgiving, but in 1966 Dallas got into the act, and now there’s a night game as well. 

Finally, the tradition I liked best. After the parade and game were over, we went to Grandpa and Grandma Liblong’s house for Thanksgiving dinner. My mom, dad, sister and I were joined by my Uncle Joe Liblong, Aunt Isabel and cousins Larry and John. 

Grandma prepared a feast to be proud of. Turkey, of course, and all the trimmings. She topped it off with various homemade pies. As the old saying goes, “a good time was had by all.” We had leftovers for days. 

I sincerely hope that you have many fond Thanksgiving memories and traditions of your own and that you and yours have a wonderful, happy and safe Thanksgiving this year.