The Tournament of Roses began in 1890 as a simple parade in Pasadena, California. It grew in popularity, adding sporting events and motorized floats, and in 1902, a college football game. The game was abandoned for a time due to talent disparities, but renewed in 1916 and led to the construction of the Rose Bowl stadium in 1920. The event now includes a Grand Marshal, Rose Queen and Royal Court, equestrians, and elaborate floats sponsored by corporations. It has become a beloved American New Year’s Eve tradition.
On New Year’s Day in 1890, what has become the celebrated Tournament of Roses began as a simple parade as members of the local Valley Hunt Club of Pasadena, California, adorned their carriages with flowers to commemorate the orange blossom. Sporting events took place shortly thereafter, including contests between wild animals such as ostriches, elephants and camels, as well as polo matches and even a tug-of-war event.
As the Tournament of Roses gained popularity, attracting national media attention, the parade became more elaborate. Motorized floats in all themes and colors were incorporated as well as numerous marching bands. By 1895 the enormous enthusiasm for the event and the growth of the parade itself had become too much for the Valley Hunt Club to handle. Thus, the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association was formed, and to this day it is responsible for administering of the event.
In 1902, the decision was made to add a college football game to the celebration, which kicked off at the conclusion of the floral parade. This football game was the first postseason college football game ever held in the United States and pitted Stanford University of the West Coast against the University of Michigan representing the East. Michigan crushed Stanford 49-0, in a game that ended in the third quarter when Stanford conceded the game. Due to the huge disparity in talent at the time, for a number of years after this explosive game, the tournament committee abandoned football, opting, instead, to hold carriage-style races in the tradition of the Roman Colosseum.
However, in 1916 the tradition of a post-parade college football game was renewed. Due to the huge popularity of the event and the size of the crowds that swept the tournament grounds, it was decided in 1920 to build a full-scale stadium to host the football game. In 1923, construction was completed and the stadium, as well as the football game itself, was nicknamed the “Rose Bowl.” In 1947, an agreement was made between the Big Ten and Pacific Ten conferences for the champions of their respective conferences to meet in the Rose Bowl to determine an overall champion.
It is the tradition of the Tournament of Roses to nominate a significant personality to serve as Grand Marshal of the Rose Parade. Celebrities, presidents, business leaders, and even fictitious popular culture figures such as Mickey Mouse and Kermit the Frog have held this honorary position. In addition to the Grand Marshall, a Rose Queen and a Royal Court are selected from thousands of young women who compete for prestigious positions in a competition in which judges vote for candidates they think best embody poise, sophistication and service to community appreciated by the Tournament of Roses.
Along with marching bands and floats, equestrians have always been important participants in the Rose Parade. More than 300 horses and riders parade each year. The selection committee seeks to include breeds from around the world, showcasing the different types of horses, an aspect of the parade that has become a crowd favorite over the years.
In step with the times, the Tournament of Roses has evolved to become an annual New Year’s Eve tradition enjoyed by people all over the world. The Rose Parade is now more elaborate than ever with most of the floats being built by companies that specialize in making these fabulous creations. Because the cost of building the floats is enormous, many of the floats are now sponsored by corporate entities rather than simply local community groups as in the past. In addition to flowers and natural materials, sound effects and computer imagery have become common elements in float design. What began as a simple procession of carriages festooned with local flowers has now grown into a major media event broadcast to millions of households and a beloved American New Year’s Eve tradition.
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