We're only a few weeks away from another Thanksgiving holiday and Black Friday shopping bonanza. Streaming services are loading up with holiday specials for Turkey Day and prepping for Christmas, too, since it's officially the season.
If you want to truly get into the spirit and maybe even feel a little nostalgic, you should rewatch some classic cartoons from the '90s. We've compiled a handy guide to some of the best Thanksgiving episodes from '90s cartoons, for both kids and adults, like Hey Arnold, The Simpsons, King of the Hill, South Park, and more!
"The Turkey Who Came to Dinner" - Rugrats
What happens when Tommy, Chucky, and their friends discover a turkey in their backyard after Lou wins a live one at a contest? The kids start to bond with the turkey after their parents teach them all about the first Thanksgiving and the pilgrims.
After making crafts and learning about the traditions of the holiday, they decide to help the turkey escape instead of letting it die. In the end, the kids and their families gather for a family meal with a different dinner than they had initially expected, and the turkey shares a bowl of dog food with Spike.
"Starvin' Marvin" - South Park
This episode of South Park aired in the show's very first season. It involved Cartman and his friends donating money to an organization for starving children, or so they think. Instead, they accidentally agree to host an Ethiopian child. The episode is meant to be a satirical look at how wasteful Americans are and how they view impoverished countries.
The character of "Starvin' Marvin" became very popular with fans. He appeared in another episode on the show, and the episode was highly-praised both for its comedy and commentary. It also features a subplot involving genetically mutated turkeys that begin attacking humans.
A Winnie the Pooh Thanksgiving
This 1998 made-for-tv special was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. It features all the main characters of Winnie the Pooh like Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger, Rabbit, and more all gathering together to enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner.
They each bring a food item to share but then decide that in honor of the holiday, they should bring something with a little more sentimental value. The gang learns the value and true meaning of the holiday as they share a nice time together.
"Doug's Thanksgiving" - Doug
The special Thanksgiving episode from the Doug cartoon aired in 1997. Doug winds up having to go out of his way to try and please everyone when Thanksgiving plans fall apart for everyone. It starts after Bill Bluff's team asks Bluff to dine with an average family so it can raise the general public's opinion of him.
He winds up being invited to Doug's family Thanksgiving dinner. But then Doug's sister, Judy, has issues with how Bill wants to run Thanksgiving and they say Doug can't invite Patty. He has to try to appease multiple people to pull off the perfect holiday.
"The Great Can Drive" - Recess
Recess stands out as one of Disney's best cartoons from the late 1990s. Luckily for fans, it's now available to stream on Disney Plus, and just in time for the holidays.
In "The Great Can Drive" the gang wants to take part in a fundraiser to get as much canned food as possible for people in need. At first, they only want to compete to beat The Ashleys, but soon they realize they've lost sight of the real goal of the contest and strive to do better.
"Bart vs. Thanksgiving" - The Simpsons
For a series that has aired for as long as The Simpsons, you would think the show would have more Thanksgiving episodes. Surprisingly, it doesn't have all that many but one standout episode aired in the show's second season. "Bart vs. Thanksgiving" features Bart and Lisa getting into a fight after Bart destroys a Thanksgiving centerpiece she worked on.
After getting yelled at by his parents, Bart runs away to a soup kitchen and while there he learns a few valuable lessons. He returns home, apologizes to his sister, and the family is able to celebrate the holiday together. The episode was praised by critics and one of the highest-rated episodes of television the week it aired.
"Turkey Time" - Rocko's Modern Life
Rocko plans a visit to Food-O-Rama to prepare for his Thanksgiving meal and winds up leaving with a live turkey. He doesn't realize he'll have to kill it and eat it but can't bring himself to do it.
This ultimately culminates with all the turkeys going to Rocko's house as the neighbors, including Ed, storm his house to get a turkey for the holiday. Heffer and Rocko decide to trick them with a vegetarian alternative so that they can keep the turkey's safe.
"Arnold's Thanksgiving" - Hey Arnold!
Arnold doesn't like the fact his grandma is celebrating with Fourth of July content instead of Thanksgiving and Helga feels ignored and unwanted at her own house. The two decide to strike out alone and see if they can find a better Thanksgiving dinner and the two attend a meal at Mr. Simmons.
However, it doesn't meet their expectations and they begin to understand the true meaning of the holiday by returning home to their weird families and embracing their quirks at the end.
"Happy Hanks Giving" - King of the Hill
This excellent episode of the long-running animated sitcom shows the Hill family attempting to visit Hank's mother for the holiday but unfortunately, it seems that at every corner some new obstacle is waiting to greet the family.
They continue to run into difficulties at the airport until they eventually realized they are stranded and are forced to spend the holiday there. However, they also realize that many of the problems are out of their control and band together to enjoy the holiday in the best way they can while at the airport.
"Turkey Jerky" - Animaniacs
This is a fun episode that has the Warners doing their best to keep their pet turkey safe from the evil Miles Standish who will do just about anything to have their pet for dinner.
The Warners get up to their typical mischief to keep him away from the turkey. The episode also has a fun Elmer Fudd cameo that fans should appreciate.