More holidays make for a bigger Oviedo Holiday Parade

The holiday season in Oviedo became a little more inclusive in 2023. In the flyers advertising the annual Oviedo Holiday Parade, and amid the floats riding around Oviedo Boulevard and Center Lake Park on Dec. 2, onlookers may have noticed some slight changes to the city’s second-annual event. The changes came  from resident suggestions. 

Following feedback about last year’s Christmas Parade — primarily about the name — the Oviedo City Council changed the name to the Holiday Parade for this past weekend’s version.

“We did have full consensus to rename our previous Christmas Parade into a Holiday Parade, so pretty easy change there,” Oviedo Councilmember Natalie Teuchert said. “That alone, I think, made us a lot more inclusive.

“I have no issue if it’s called Christmas Parade, I just think from the city’s standpoint, we should call it a ‘Holiday Parade’ so people can feel welcome to come celebrate whatever they personally believe in,” she said.

Teuchert said following last year’s parade, she heard from many residents who wanted to see the event be more inclusive in its language.

“I think what sparked it, too, is I was wearing my different holiday shirt on the parade float, and they’re like, ‘Wow, that made me feel included,’” she said. 

The cheer wasn’t the only reason some wanted the change, however. The idea of a religious holiday being part of a city event rubbed Oviedo resident Kyle Webb the wrong way.

“I just remember last year finding it a bit silly to call it a Christmas parade when council members themselves don’t celebrate Christmas, and it is an event put on by the city, and I believe we should be inclusive as a city,” Webb said. “Also, I believe in the separation of church and state. It just felt very natural to say, ‘Hey, calling this a Christmas parade excludes large groups of people. Why don’t we just call it a holiday parade because everybody celebrates different things?’”

Melissa Kweller, owner of Green Acres Farm Oviedo, which hosts a Hanukkah menorah lighting, agrees with the inclusivity sentiment. 

“I think it’s great that the city is looking to be more inclusive during the holidays. There are so many people in the city that come from a variety of backgrounds, celebrating different holidays. It would be lovely to be able to celebrate different cultures / religions and a wonderful opportunity for us all to learn from each other.”

While there was still plenty of green and red Christmas decor moving around the roads, they were joined by Hanukkah blue throughout as well.

“It’s been pretty well-received,” Oviedo Mayor Megan Sladek said. “I think most people didn’t notice. … The people who celebrate other holidays have been glad [they] have a little bit more inclusivity.”

Webb said she has seen support, as well, but has come across those not in favor of it on social media. 

“I think it’s a mixed bag,” she said. “There’s definitely a lot of people who were in support, but there’s always detractors as well. I think definitely there’s a group of people in Oviedo who are very much in support of it, and there’s a subset, unfortunately, who feel like it’s part of the ‘war on Christmas.’”

The packed event featured between 45-50 holiday and winter-themed floats and decorated vehicles, and hundreds of performers and other participants. Oviedo City Council members rode in a float that bore big, bright snowflakes, wreaths, elves, multicolored lights and a menorah, the latter brought by Teuchert. 

“I saw a couple different holidays represented,” she said. “I put some Hanukkah stuff on our float this year and it didn’t just say ‘Merry Christmas.’ It was a more diverse float and arrangement.

“There’s small things you could do that just include a lot more people, and that’s what I’ve been pushing for, and I think we’re moving in that direction,” she said.

While there is not a plan to have their float feature every culture or holiday going forward, Sladek said that fellow council members are welcome to bring along representative items.

The changes could be seen in the promotion during the run up to the event. While the flier for the inaugural event in 2022 was titled “Christmas Parade” and stated, “Christmas in Oviedo is made possible by.” It featured ornaments and mistletoe, traditional Christmas decor. This year’s flier was winter-themed.

Reactions to the event were positive, with Facebook user Melissa Lee Sileo commenting on Sladek’s post about it, “I think it was the best parade yet!”

Another Facebook user, Shelia VanBuskirk Justen, wrote on the city’s Recreation and Parks post, “We had the best time!! What a great community we have!! Thank you to all of the City of Oviedo – Recreation & Parks for all of your work!!”

While Christmas and Hanukkah were well-represented in the parade, there is space for even more cultures and traditions to be featured going forward.

“We’re not going to limit anything; we are going to just be consistent and open to be as inclusive as possible with everybody,” Oviedo Recreation and Parks Director Paul Belden said. 

It is not just the parade that features inclusive holiday language. The Holiday Tree lighting, which occurred on Nov. 30 this year, is for all to enjoy, as well.

“[City] staff’s going to be looking at just referring to these holiday events as ‘holiday,’” Belden said. “We’re going to try to be inclusive to everybody. We like to celebrate the holidays, [and] it’s not just one day of the year.

“It’s the season and the coming together of the community.”