1) MLB Opening Day rituals: Findlay Market Parade in Cincinnati
It’s impossible to mention Opening Day rituals without talking about the Cincinnati Reds. They used to own Opening Day. Baseball would begin with a game in Cincinnati. A sport filled with tradition, baseball began with the National League’s oldest franchise.
The Findlay Market Parade is how the Reds and the people of Cincinnati welcome the start of the baseball season. It’s a celebration of the local major league team and also a time to gather together after what are typically harsh Ohio winters. Spring has arrived. The Findlay Market Parade showcases how happy everyone can be that the snow shovels can finally be put away; but not too deeply into the garage just in case.
The Findlay Market Parade goes back to the 1800s. It was in 1920 when it became specifically linked to Opening Day. In those early days, the visiting team would even participate. This might not work today nearly as well as it did back then.
Horses, elephants, and other large animals from the zoo or circus have made appearances. It’s a tradition like no other around the first game of the major league season. For more than 100 years now, the Findlay Market Parade has been the defining Opening Day ritual and the envy of fans everywhere else.