The 84th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday attracted thousands of people lining the streets of Manhattan and millions more watching from televisions at home.


The Hello Kitty balloon floats through Times Square during the 84th Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade in New York, the United States, Nov. 25, 2010. (Xinhua/Shen Hong)
The annual parade, starting at 9 a.m. from the 77th street of Manhattan, featured the traditional collection of massive inflated balloons, in such images as Spiderman, Smurf and Pillsbury Doughboy. Characters from Diary of A Wimpy kid and martial arts master Kung Fu Panda made their debut at this year's parade.


The parade earned the loudest cheers when Santa appeared in his one-year old sleigh, a replacement of his previous model, which was 40 years old. Santa has been a fixture at the back of the parade for every year except 1933, when he led it.


For New Yorker George Kelly, the parade is a reminder that even during challenging times and amid a sluggish economy, there are still things to be grateful for.


"I came here at 7 this morning to get a good spot. It's so worth it. Such a perfect day," Kelly told Xinhua.


In all, more than 8,000 performers, 27 floats and 15 giant balloons joined the three-hour parade.


VietNamNet/Xinhuanet