Pageant is a spectacular entertainment, often held outdoors. Many pageants have historical or patriotic themes. Pageants are often presented by townspeople and involve processions. The term comes from a Latin word that means platform. By the 1500’s in England, a pageant had come to mean a wheeled platform or scenic unit used to present religious dramas. As today, the term also meant the dramatic production itself. A pageant does not have to be a play. The Tournament of Roses parade held annually in Pasadena, California, is a pageant. Beauty pageants are popular competitions in which entrants are judged based on their appearance, personality, and other qualities.
