Why is the Raleigh Christmas Parade before Thanksgiving?

RALEIGH (WTVD) -- While there's a lot of excitement surrounding the ABC11/LeithCars.com Raleigh Christmas Parade presented by Shop Local Raleigh, many residents have just one question - why is the parade before Thanksgiving?

Well, there are a few reasons.

Jennifer Martin with Shop Local Raleigh said the tradition started back in the 1930s.

Local merchants hold the parade the week before Thanksgiving to kick off the holiday season and to encourage you to shop local!

Watch the video for more information.