"Easter Parade" is a popular song that was written by Irving Berlin and was published in 1933. The lyrics describe the singer's involvement in an American cultural event called the Easter parade.
The song was introduced by Marilyn Miller and Clifton Webb in the Broadway musical revue As Thousands Cheer (1933), in which musical numbers were strung together on the thematic thread of newspaper headlines. It was sung by Bing Crosby in the film Holiday Inn (1942), which featured an Irving Berlin song about each major holiday.[1] In 1948, it was performed by Judy Garland and Fred Astaire in the musical film of the same title, which was constructed around the song. The song was also featured in the Rankin/Bass special The First Easter Rabbit in 1976 and has since become a standard.
Berlin originally wrote the melody in 1917, under the title "Smile and Show Your Dimple." The song flopped but the composer filed away the melody for later use.
The song is often considered to be one of the most popular Easter songs of all time, along with Peter Cottontail.