It
is a direct descendant of late Medieval
and Renaissance revivals of Roman
Triumphs, which had music and banners,
wagons filled with the spoils of war,
and climaxed with the dux riding in
a chariot, drawn by two horses, and
thus called the biga. (A quadriga
such as surmounts the Brandenburg
Gate is drawn by four horses.) Similarly,
the climax of a Santa Claus parade
is always Santa in his sleigh, drawn
by eight reindeer (an octigia). Roman
Triumphs were themselves consciously
modeled on ceremonies honoring the
gods, and Santa Claus himself is the
descendant of Saint Nicholas. The
Santa Claus parade directly corresponds
to the modern triumphal entry of Santa
Claus. One of the best known Santa
Claus parades is the Toronto Santa
Claus Parade, held annually near the
middle of November in Toronto, Ontario.
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