If you spent your Thanksgiving day with the Macy’s parade blaring in the background, you missed out on some of the best television programs of the year. TV’s best sitcoms release heart-warming, hilarious Turkey Day specials that make you feel like part of the fictional family. Thanksgiving is about coming together, whether it’s with your family or friends, and these episodes embody the spirit of the holiday season.

1. Friends – “The One With All The Thanksgivings” (1998, S5E8)

Friends is a TV show known for its thanksgiving episodes, so choosing out of the 10 seasons wasn’t easy, but this particular episode’s mix of laughs and romance puts it at the top of my list. In a series of flashbacks, the gang reminisces on their worst Thanksgivings; Chandler’s hatred for the holiday is revealed to be the fault of his parent’s untimely divorce, and Joey recalls getting his head stuck in a turkey. Any Friends regular knows there’s nothing better than a flashback episode; who can resist the charming Monica Geller in her heavier, high school days? Chandler Bing can’t resist either, as he is prompted by these flashbacks to accidentally reveal to Monica that he loves her. And if you aren’t awed by the “I love you” revelation, Ross and Chandler’s 80s hairstyles are sure to win you over.

2. Modern Family – “Punkin Chunkin” (2011, S3E9)

As the unique yet harmoniously hilarious families come together on Thanksgiving, this Modern Family episode leaves you with its dependable warm feeling, perfect for the holiday season. The families unite under a common battle: dreamers versus realists. Jay tries to teach his stepson Manny a little tough love despite Gloria’s constant motherly compliments, Claire tries to instill the value of education in her daughter Haley just as their college dropout, millionaire friend arrives, and no one seems to believe Cam’s Punkin Chunkin story. As they separate into two clear teams, the Pritchetts (the skeptics) against the rest of the believers, they take it to a football field to test the Punkin Chunkin story.  The families ultimately have to work together to catapult the pumpkin across the entire field. With the final image of the pumpkin soaring through the air, Cam reflects, “The dreamers need the realists to keep them from soaring too close to the sun. And the realists, well, without the dreamers, they might not ever get off the ground.” It’s the perfect image of familial harmony on the ever-so-fitting non-traditional Thanksgiving night.

3. How I Met Your Mother – “Slapsgiving” (2007, S3E9) 

With the ongoing slap bet (which involves Marshall being allowed 5 slaps to Barney at any given time) that lasts throughout nine seasons, a small example of the show’s clever cohesion, the third slap is delivered on the group’s first and best Thanksgiving. Ted and Robin struggle with rekindling their friendship after their breakup, but are finally reunited as they pick back up their annoyingly cheesy yet signature joke–saluting to accidental phrases like “General Knowledge,” “Major Buzzkill,” or “Kernel Stuck-In-My-Teeth.” When Marshall creates an online slap countdown, Barney is driven crazy with suspense until the slap finally occurs when he’s caught off guard. Complete with the usual Canadian jokes, a reflective narration, and an original Marshall song, “You Just Got Slapped,” this episode reminds you that friends are sometimes the best family. Ted remarks, “Friendship is an involuntary reflex; it just happens sometimes. You can’t help it.” Any slap bet episodes rank high with this series, and the slap bet incorporation with Thanksgiving makes it one of the top holiday episodes.

4. The Wonder Years – “The Ties That Bind” (1990, S4E7)

This classic television show always leaves me with a smile on my face as it dabbles in family values and childhood innocence; the Thanksgiving special is no exception. With the Arnold family experiencing money troubles, their father, “the great provider,” seeks a promotion but soon realizes it means he’ll be spending Thanksgiving on the road. When the holiday finally comes, the siblings and their mother sit at a full table staring at the single empty chair. There’s a somber moment of silence, finally broken by a call from their father requesting to be picked up from the airport.  As the kids watch their parents reunite in a rare, romantic scene, Kevin reflects with a sweet line: “Before my parents were mom and dad, they were Norma and Jack.” Thanksgiving brought a togetherness that Kevin hadn’t seen before. It wasn’t just between his whole family, but between a husband and the “girl he fell in love with.” Whether you react with an “Aww” or an eye roll, you can’t help but smile too.

5. Boy Meets World – “Turkey Day” (1996, S4E10)

Boy Meets World is a rare show targeted for kids that often digs into deeper topics than expected to teach viewers real-life lessons. In this Thanksgiving episode, the boys and their families learn about the issue of class differences. With the backdrop of the boys learning about the corrupt African class system from their famously wise teacher Mr. Feeny, they find themselves facing the issue head-on with their families. Shawn and Cory urge their families to spend Thanksgiving together, so Cory’s family comes to Shawn’s trailer home for the holiday dinner. The adults obsess over their social classes; Shawn’s family desperately tries to impress the “higher class” family while the fellow trailer park residents want the condescending outsiders to leave. The kids are the only ones able to ignore the obvious class difference, which makes the adults realize that the kids were teaching them an important lesson–to get to know people for who they really are. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, the families finally come together in a peaceful meal, inspiring viewers to do the same.