A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

Cara and I watched "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" last night. We love to watch holiday specials, particularly Christmas specials, but I must say "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" is one of my favorites.

The music alone puts me in the mood for Thanksgiving. (Not that it takes much.) Vince Guaraldi's music scores for the various Peanuts classics are amazing! And to me, this is his best. Cara loves "Little Birdy", although I just love the way he mixes his most famous music, "Linus and Lucy", into the music he wrote specifically for this special.

The special first aired on November 20, 1973 on CBS. Amazingly, it was the 11th Peanuts special to air. The first was "A Charlie Brown Christmas" in 1965. The special won an Emmy Award.

A few of my favorite scenes:

When Snoopy and Woodstock are cooking popcorn and toast, and Woodstock unknowingly sticks Snoopy's ear in the toaster, than proceeds to butter it.

When Snoopy wrestles with the uncooperative folding chaise lounge chair.

When Snoopy dishes out the Thanksgiving meal to each person, making sure each one gets two slices of toast, a handful of popcorn, some jelly beans and some pretzels.

The scene where Peppermint Patty invites herself to Thanksgiving dinner, even though Charlie Brown is supposed to go to his grandmothers. "Chuck" can't get a word in edgewise.

When Linus tells the tale of the first Thanksgiving, between the Pilgrims and Indians, then leads them in a prayer originally said by Elder William Brewster. I am particularly fond of the prayer, since I am descended from William Brewster.

When the gang is riding in the back of the station wagon (very unsafe by today's standards) and singing "Over the River and Through the Woods". I find it strange that nobody can seems to sing in sinc.

Finally, when Snoopy and Woodstock sit down to their own Thanksgiving dinner.

Two things have always bothered me by that final scene.
1. If Snoopy was capable of making a full Thanksgiving dinner, with turkey and all the fixings, why did he go through the ruse of making toast and popcorn for Peppermint Patty and her friends?
2. Did you ever notice that Woodstock is eating turkey? Woodstock is a bird. Isn't this borderline cannibalism?

Anyway, "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" remains one of my favorite Holiday specials.