A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (NR, 1973)

In this popular animated special created by Charles M. Schultz, Charlie Brown (voiced by Todd Barbee) finds himself hosting a Thanksgiving meal for his friends. At first, the characters are ambivalent and somewhat negative about the holiday. But thanks to some philosophical words from Linus (Stephen Shea) and Marcie, the Peanuts gang comes to realize the true meaning of the holiday.

Nobody does holidays quite like the Peanuts gang, and A CHARLIE BROWN THANKSGIVING is no exception. Stumped over what to serve his friends for Thanksgiving dinner, Charlie Brown whips up a few tried-and-true recipes, including buttered toast, popcorn, and pretzel sticks. In a fun kitchen scene, Snoopy "conducts" the food preparation to Vince Guaraldi's "Linus and Lucy," probably the most well-known and well-loved Peanuts tune. Snoopy steals the show again when he and Woodstock set the Thanksgiving table and later when they don pilgrim-style costumes.

Released in 1988, The Mayflower Voyagers (the second feature on the DVD) strays somewhat from the simplicity that made its predecessors so endearing, but it's still educational. The animated special follows the pilgrims -- including Charlie Brown and friends -- as they journey to the New World in 1620. It does a good job of depicting the perilous Mayflower voyage, as well as the challenges of settling in a new land.