It was the autumn of 1621 when 50 Pilgrims and 90 Wampanoag Indians held the first Thanksgiving to celebrate a successful harvest. 200 years later, it became a national holiday that is still celebrated today. Thanksgiving is a day to be grateful. It is a day when Americans gather together with family to enjoy delicious traditional foods like turkey, stuffing, gravy, and pumpkin pie! It is a day to enjoy some football and classical movies. Here is a list of films to enjoy this Thanksgiving.

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973)

We all remember watching this instant classic as kids. In this holiday special, Charlie Brown attempts to have a Thanksgiving dinner after Peppermint Patty invites herself and her friends to his house. Snoopy, Linus, Woodstock, and the whole gang get together for a dinner filled with large ice cream sundaes and whipped cream. Since its premiere in 1973, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving has continued to air every November as a Thanksgiving special. This Emmy award winning animation is based upon the popular comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. Although, it might be for kids, who can resist a good classic with Charlie Brown and Snoopy?

Planes, Trains, & Automobiles (1987)

Planes, Trains, & Automobiles is a hilarious and heartwarming classic about two men trying to make it home for Thanksgiving. In this comedy, Neal Page (Steve Martin) and Del Griffith (John Candy) get trapped in Kansas after all the flights are canceled due to a massive snowstorm. All Neal truly wants is to get home in Chicago to spend Thanksgiving with his wife and kids. Unfortunately, he gets stuck traveling with Del Griffith who he finds is extremely annoying. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the film “has become a holiday traveler’s staple” and is a must watch during this holiday season.

The Nightingale (2015)

The Nightingale, directed by Philippe Muyl, is a beautiful family film that follows the journey of an elderly man and his spoiled granddaughter. The pair travel to rural, southwestern China with a caged bird in order to keep a promise made to a loved one. Through this bonding journey, Ren Xing, the granddaughter, goes through a humbling transformation as she begins to understand the simple life that her grandfather experienced. This heartening film examines family values, traditions, and generational differences. This was China’s official selection for the 87th Academy Awards. It is the perfect movie to watch with family on Thanksgiving. It will surely make you laugh, cry, and be thankful for family.

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Today, September 27, provides the perfect excuse to call your grandparents— it is Ancestor Appreciation Day! This national holiday was founded to encourage folks to honor their heritage and learn more about their genealogy. Whether that means exploring your family tree on websites like Ancestry.com, or sitting down with a relative and reminiscing over family stories, learning about your family’s history can help you feel more connected in a world where connectedness can be hard to come by.  

Take a look at the 2015 film, The Nightingale directed by Philippe Muyl. This dramatic tale set in rural China tells the story of an iPad addicted city girl, Ren Xing (Xin Yi Yang), who is placed in the care of her Grandfather Zhu Zhi Gen (Li Baotian). The duo sets out on a journey through the Chinese countryside in search of his former home in a remote village.

Initially, Ren Xing appears spoiled and aloof; only concerned with playing games on her devices and tormenting her grandfather. Ren goes through a transformation of sorts when her devices finally lose battery. She effectively “wakes up” and becomes aware and mindful of her immediate surroundings. This allows her relationship with her grandfather to evolve and deepen, and she begins to develop a genuine reverence for his life experience and the considerable wisdom he has to offer.

Sound familiar? With the ubiquity of technology and devices that constantly keep us “connected” to our friends, we run the risk of ignoring those who physically surround us. Let National Ancestor Appreciation Day inspire you to get back to your roots and focus on where you come from. Have a conversation with a parent, grandparent, or relative to learn a little bit more about your personal history. As Theodore Roosevelt said, “The more you know about the past, the better prepared you are for the future.”

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