Updating the Face of America

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No Celebrations of Women Why Do Holidays Only Celbrate Men?

There are eleven national holidays including Columbus Day, Presidents Day (Washington’s Birthday and Lincoln’s Birthday) and Martin Luther King Day —  not one holiday is named after woman.  Women’s Equality Day commemorating  the passage of the 19th Amendment, was established in 1971, but it’s not a national holiday or even formally celebrated by a single state.  

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Holidays in the United States are all male focused.

Yet not one of the holidays that we do celebrate that are supposedly gender neutral, are male focused.  On Memorial Day, male soldiers march in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and place a commemorative wreath. Thanksgiving is a celebration of the successful first harvest of the pilgrims and their ultimate survival.

 

There was one-hundred and two passengers on the Mayflower, 74 men and 28 women.   Forty-five passengers died that first winter, thirteen of whom were women. Yet little is taught about these women who also courageously crossed the Atlantic on the Mayflower.   Similarly, Christmas is extremely male focused holiday centering on Santa, Rudolf and the male elves.

Parades depict more male than female characters.

The parades that celebrate these holidays are even more one-sided.  Giant helium balloons are a the most popular feature of any major parade, but few balloons depict female characters or famous women. The biggest and most famous parade in the world, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, established in 1924, flew its first giant ballon 1926, Felix the Cat.  Fifty-eight years later the parades first female character balloon, Olive Oyl, thrilled the parade’s audience.

 

Over the 95 year history of the parade Macy’s has produced 152 different balloons, only 12 of which were female characters.  During the ten year period from 2012 to 2021 Macy’s induced 33 new character balloons, one of which was Hello Kitty, the only female character balloon introduced in that ten year period. Not a single balloon of a female character will fly in the 2021 parade.

Parades depict more male than female imagery.

EVE, MAcy's Thanksgiving Day PArade
These are the only female character balloons that have flown in the history of the Macy’s parade ... 
  1. Olive Oyl (1982),
  2. Raggedy Ann (1984),
  3. Betty Boop (1985), 
  4. Skylander (1995),
  5. Petulia Pig (1999),
  6. Cassie Dragon Tales (2000),
  7. JoJo the Circus Clown (2005),
  8. Dora the Explorer (2005),
  9. Hello Kitty (2007),
  10. Abby Cadabby (2007),
  11. Virginia O’Hanlon (2010),
  12. Hello Kitty Version II (2013).

Take Action - Reccomend Women To Be Featured

 If you’d like to see a balloon of Queen Elsa, Princess Anna, Minnie Mouse, Lucy Van Pelt (Peanuts Character),  Wonder Woman, Miss Piggy, Moana, or any of your other favorite characters...

Contact Macy's CEO! Reccomend A 'Woman' Balloon

Jeffrey Genette, CEO of Macys
 
 
EVE, Equal Visibility Everywhere

Request More Infomration Equal Visibility Everywhere

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