Sharmaine Harrison, a Macy's buyer, left, works with professional circus clown “Peety” backstage at the Big Apple Circus in New York's Lincoln Center. A one-day training session was held recently for people who want to be among the hundreds of clowns in the Thanksgiving Day Parade. Many of the volunteers are Macy's employees.

NEW YORK — About 300 volunteers, most of them Macy's employees, spent a day recently at “Clown U.” to learn how to be clowns in the Thanksgiving Day Parade.

After warming up under the Big Apple Circus' big top, the clowns-in-training took an oath in which they promised, among other things, not to drink while in costume and not to bother the parade's celebrities.

Professional clowns and veteran parade leaders from Macy's later rehearsed routines and passed along various tips including “conserve your confetti” and “wear layers.”

The volunteer clowns will accompany an appropriate balloon or float in the parade.

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Big Apple Circus clown Julie Pasqual, left, volunteers, and Macy's employees pass a dromedary backstage at The Big Apple Circus, during "Clown U." in New York's Lincoln Center, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2014. A one-day training session was held for people who want to be among the thousand or so clowns in the Thanksgiving Day Parade. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Clown Captain Les Kule, a computer consultant, joins other volunteers, Macy's employees and Big Apple Circus clowns backstage at "Clown U.," at the the Big Apple Circus, in New York's Lincoln Center, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2014. A one-day training session was held for people who want to be among the thousand or so clowns in the Thanksgiving Day Parade. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)