Soap opera star Susan Lucci ushered in the holiday season as Grand Marshal of "The 2009 Hollywood Christmas Parade." The jolly stars, joined by Santa Claus, traveled down the famed Hollywood Boulevard, waving to fans on either side of the street.

Lucci told ET, "This is such an incredible welcome gesture from the City of Los Angeles to me, but also to 'All My Children' because we're moving here very shortly, right after the New Year." She said that the show's relocation will allow the plots to be "more expansive in our storytelling."

"The Inside Dish"'s Ross Mathews admitted, "I am a holly jolly mess...and I'm all about the holidays." He divulged how he wanted to ride down the parade route: "I have a dream that it's some sort of old convertible because...in my weird dream I was also wearing a long, chiffon scarf, but that's not going to happen."

Antonio Sabato, Jr., a veteran parade participant, recognized the importance of keeping up with this annual Hollywood tradition, saying, "It's really important for us to have this parade for our city and we live here and we cherish the city very much"

The event was not only about the celebs, but also featured local marching bands, dance troupes, equestrian units, and floats. "The 2009 Hollywood Christmas Parade" is scheduled to air on December 10 on MyNetworkTV.