Millions attend Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade in New York – as it happened

With the end of the parade and the start of the The National Dog Show, we’re going to take this moment to wrap up and thank you for joining us.

• Despite security concerns and an increased police presence - including sharp-shooters and bomb-sniffing dogs - millions turned out to watch the annual spectacular
• Obama urged compassion, especially for Syrian refugees, on this day of giving thanks
• Train tested bilateral relations with its rendition of Slade’s Merry Christmas Everybody
  
• Mariah Carey stunned, as always
• With a big fat pack upon his back, Santa brought the Christmas season to New York and drew to a close this year’s annual Thanksgiving Day parade

Wherever you are, have a Happy Thanksgiving.

There he is! The jolly man in red and his nine reindeer.

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Traditionally, Santa’s arrival on 34th st in front of the parade’s namesake department store marks its official end and the official beginning of the Christmas season. (But between us, I’ve already heard Christmas songs played in stores.)

Two kale dishes! Don’t go overboard Mr. President

In a Jessica Rabbit-esque red dress and a white fur shrug, Mariah Carey sings All I want For Christmas atop an advent calendar float.

Forget Santa. Christmas is officially around the corner.

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This year’s Thanksgiving Day parade has ballet dancers, street performers and tributes to a familiar Broadway show. Macy’s has published a selection of the performances on their Twitter page, including a number from popular musical Fiddler on the Roof and the Rockettes’ eye-high kicks.

Pat Benatar and Neil Geraldo performed what we’ll call a “seasonal saccharine ballade” as we missed the name of the song and Shazam identified it only as “Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade”.

There’s a fierce dissent amongst the Brits in the office as to whether Slade’s Merry Christmas Everybody is crap or not as Train performs a rendition.

NBC seamlessly cuts from the Aaaaahflac duck balloon to an Aflac commercial. Aaaaaah.

No word yet on whether it was Pumpkin or Apple pie to the rescue.

Santa Claus is comin’ to town (so they promise). Santa and his sleigh of faithful reindeer mark the end of the parade.

This actually began as a Christmas Day parade in 1924 and was broadcast on radio. In those days, the balloons were allowed to float away and those who found them received a gift certificate from Macy’s.

Tony Bennet and Lady Gaga croon in the much-hyped Barnes and Noble ad, reminding us that this spectacle is first and foremost a three-hour commercial break.

Obama calls for compassion in dealing with the global migrant crisis. In his Thanksgiving message on Thursday, the US president reminds Americans them that the Pilgrims who came to America in 1620 were themselves fleeing persecution.

Well, things have certainly taken a turn … at least in Paul’s head, they have