Mornings on the first of January are a cuddly affair of cocoa, coffee, cinnamon buns and Pasadena’s Tournament of Roses Parade. Or, at least, for that’s the way it is for Southern Californians. The parade itself is high camp, and network coverage is overinflated cornball… but boy if it doesn’t make me all warm and fuzzy inside.

These days we have everything from pyrotechnics to pop star solos. Yet another reason I long for the good old days when it was a bit more… grounded, shall we say. But having said that, in looking at the following collection of photos spanning the Parade’s history, from Day One the parade has held that whimsical flair that makes it so easy to cozy up to on a chilly January morning.