Christmas Parade in Killarney
by Mariana Seibold
The air was cold and biting when my friends and I stepped out of the restaurant in Killarney, reminding us yet again that we were nearly into December. The sidewalk was oddly crowded with parents and young children for this late at night, but any further thought on the matter quickly left our minds as we saw the local candy shop. We popped in there for a bit, tasting and buying an assortment for ourselves and some to bring back home to our families. The owner of the store was a nice old man who gave wonderful advice and helped us, along with all of the younger patrons of the store. All of a sudden, the noise from the sidewalk seemed to swell and the children ran out, leaving their parents to hastily pay. I was extremely confused and wandered over to the store window, looking for the source of all the commotion.
“It’s the parade, you know, happens every year before we officially turn on the town lights. You girls should check it out”, the shop-owner told my friend, who was paying for her candy. I was excited because I had always loved parades of any sort back home; the music, floats, and performers would always come together perfectly. As we exited the shop, we were immediately swept up in the excitement surrounding us. Children were running around, or yelling from their perches atop their parents’ shoulders. I could easily understand their enthusiasm as the floats began to pass, each one covered in a unique christmas-themed scene and vibrant, bright lights that kept the pitch black of the night at bay. There was even one with a sleigh that had robotic deer continuously moving atop it, while an animatronic Santa waved his hand. From where I was standing, I could see the wear that indicated their age evident on the lower body of the floats, but the lights and glitter made any flaws disappear. I stood there, happily observing both the parade and the crowd, slowly beginning to feel at home in this foreign place. The procession was slow but loud, with the children yelling every time they got a glimpse of the next float, and I found myself doing the same, much to the amusement of my friends.
My friends and I moved with the crowd, slowly moving towards the main street to follow where the floats would end up. This parade was so unlike the local ones I knew from back home, and yet the atmosphere felt so familiar, with the sense of joy and anticipation evident in the faces around me, particularly those of my friends. With school picking up as we were heading into finals season, and Thanksgiving already having passed with little fanfare given that the Irish obviously do not celebrate it, none of us had yet had the opportunity to remember that the holiday season was upon us. Now, however, we were fully in the spirit of things, as energized and excited as the children around us. I could not help the smile that took over my face, laughing with joy at the excited children, at the mischievous young boys climbing up the wall beside us, and even at nothing at all.
The parade wound its way back into site, and it seemed as if everyone was holding their breath, waiting for the lights across the streets, around the light posts, and on the trees to all turn on. I looked at my friends and they smiled back, with faces as excited as the children, as the street came alive in blinding color.
About the Writer: Mariana Seibold is a sophomore (Cornell ’21) studying English and Art History. She is from Darien, Connecticut, but her favorite city is New York because this is where she always feels the most at home.
About Guac: Guac is an award-winning travel publication run by an interdisciplinary group of students at Cornell University. We aim to inspire our readers to celebrate cultural diversity and view the world with an open mind through delivering unique stories from people around the world.
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