Hoda Kotb Plans Secret Shout-Out for Jenna Bush Hager at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade: Here’s What to Watch for

The mom of three said on the ‘Today’ show on Nov. 27 that it “made my whole Thanksgiving” when her co-anchor gave her a sign on the air during last year’s parade

Between the floats, the performances, the celebrity appearances and, of course, Santa, there will be plenty to watch for during the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade — but Jenna Bush Hager and Hoda Kotb will give Today show viewers a little something extra to watch for on Thursday, Nov. 28.

On the Nov. 27 episode of Today, Bush Hager, 43, and Kotb, 60, recalled how they came up with a secret sign for Kotb to perform on the air during last year’s parade, which she co-anchored with Savannah Guthrie.

“Last year, Hoda and I came up with this secret symbol, which was Hoda brushing her teeth with a finger, remember?” Bush Hager said.

Kotb did remember. “That was the indicator that I was thinking about Jenna,” she said.

According to Kotb, Guthrie, 52, “had no clue” about the gesture’s meaning.

“Just so you’re clear, nobody knew that except all of you and Hoda and me,” Bush Hager continued. “So even Savannah, she said later to me, ‘Why’d she do that?’ ‘Cause she was like, ‘Doesn’t she know she’s on TV?’ So I’m just asking since this is our last Thanksgiving together, would you do another symbol for me?”

Kotb, who will be exiting the Today show in January, complied.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about the symbol,” Kotb said. “I’ve been thinking like, what could it possibly be? And there’s only one thing It could be. So, I don’t know if you guys remember, but there’s a song called ‘RockaFellaCenta’ that Matt Rogers does with Bowen Yang, and there’s a part of it where he says, ‘I’m waiting outside and I’m looking for Jenna Bush Hager, Jenna Bush Hager.’ Whenever I see Jenna, I go like this.”

The mother of two proceeded to put up two fists and shake them towards herself like Yang, 34, does in the video.

“It’s sort of our call sign,” Bush Hager explained.

Kotb decided that that should be her secret gesture for Bush Hager this year and had her co-anchor act out a scenario in which she did it while commentating on the parade

“Watch for it!” Kotb said.

Bush Hager also asked viewers to keep it a secret from Guthrie. “Don’t tell Savannah, you guys!” she implored.

The Sisters First author admitted that last year, she actually missed Kotb doing their secret teeth brushing move live during the parade because her Christmas tree had fallen down. Luckily, viewers let her know about it on social media.

“Last year you really did a solid for me because last Thanksgiving, we decided to put up our Christmas tree on Thanksgiving Day because we read that there was a sale at Whole Foods,” Bush Hager said. “And so [husband] Henry raced down and unfortunately, our tree fell over at the beginning of the parade with all the stuff on it, over, over. Henry was trying to put the star on it, collapsed. I may have never told you. But so I had paused it and because I was looking for this moment and somebody texted me and tons of Xers or tweeters or whatever, Insta, ‘Hey Jenna, go, go! She did it!’ So then we got to watch.”

Bush Hager said that catching that moment “made my whole Thanksgiving.”

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will air Thursday, Nov. 28, on NBC and Peacock, starting at 8:30 a.m. ET.