{{Infobox television episode | series = [[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]] | image = Ponyville expanding S2E12.png | image_size = 280 | image_alt = | caption = A bustling population in Ponyville emerges thanks to [[List_of_My_Little_Pony:_Friendship_Is_Magic_characters#Granny_Smith|Granny Smith]] (bottom). | season = 2 | episode = 12 | writer = Cindy Morrow | director = | music = | editor = | airdate = {{Start date|2012|01|07}} | length = 22 minutes | prev = [[Hearth's Warming Eve]] | next = [[Baby Cakes (My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic)|Baby Cakes]] | season_article = My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic season 2 | episode_list = List of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic episodes }} "'''Family Appreciation Day'''" is the twelfth episode of the [[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic season 2|second season]] of the [[Animated series|animated television series]] ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]]''. The episode was written by Cindy Morrow. It originally aired on [[Discovery_Family#As_Hub_Network_(2010–2014)|The Hub]] on January 7, 2012. In this episode, [[Cutie Mark Crusaders#Apple Bloom|Apple Bloom]] is embarrassed about bringing her eccentric grandmother [[List_of_My_Little_Pony:_Friendship_Is_Magic_characters#Granny_Smith|Granny Smith]] to school for Family Appreciation Day.
== Plot == {{External media |headerimage=[[File:YouTube 2024.svg|alt=YouTube logo|x20px|center]] |video1=[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLuwGNGnmQo Family Appreciation Day (full episode)] — Official upload of the episode onto [[YouTube]] | float= left| }} {{My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic sidebar}} [[Cutie Mark Crusaders#Apple Bloom|Apple Bloom]] awakens one night to discover [[List_of_My_Little_Pony:_Friendship_Is_Magic_characters#Granny_Smith|Granny Smith]] racing around Sweet Apple Acres wearing kitchen pots and hollering about timberwolves, which signals the approaching harvest of magical zap apples that the family uses to create their famous [[apple jam|zap apple jam]]. The next morning, electrical storms cause barren trees to instantly sprout leaves and flowers, while Granny Smith performs bizarre rituals like donning rabbit costumes and hopping around watering cans while reciting the alphabet. When Diamond Tiara witnesses this during her father's business visit, she mocks Granny Smith and plants seeds of shame in Apple Bloom's mind about her grandmother.
At school, teacher Cheerilee announces that each student must bring a family member for Family Appreciation Day presentations, and despite Apple Bloom's protests that her siblings are too busy with harvest duties, Diamond Tiara maliciously suggests that Granny Smith should be the presenter. Dreading the inevitable humiliation from her classmates witnessing Granny's eccentric behavior, Apple Bloom enlists the [[Cutie Mark Crusaders]] to help devise elaborate schemes to prevent the presentation, including faking illness, attempting to harvest the zap apples themselves, and even forging a fake [[telegram]] to lure Granny away on the scheduled day.
When Family Appreciation Day arrives and all their sabotage attempts fail, Granny Smith unexpectedly delivers a captivating historical account. She reveals how she and her family were [[nomad]]ic seed merchants who received land from [[Princess Celestia]] near the dangerous [[Equestria#Everfree Forest|Everfree Forest]], where young Granny discovered the first zap apple tree during a desperate food shortage and learned to cultivate them through trial and experimentation. Her zap apple jam recipe attracted settlers from across the land, including Diamond Tiara's own great-grandfather, which ultimately led to the establishment of Ponyville itself.
Granny Smith's presentation earns applause from everyone, including Cheerilee. Irritated, Diamond Tiara tries to call Granny a "kooky old lady", but Apple Bloom proudly defends her grandmother. Apple Bloom gains appreciation for the wisdom and history behind her grandmother's seemingly strange customs as she realizes that what appeared embarrassing actually represented generations of valuable knowledge and tradition that deserved respect rather than shame.
== Reception == Sherilyn Connelly, the author of ''Ponyville Confidential'', gave the episode a "B-" rating.<ref>{{harvp|Connelly|2017|p=79}}</ref> In her review of the episode in ''[[SF Weekly]]'', Connelly commented that [[Twilight Sparkle]] was absent and Applejack only appeared in a [[Cameo appearance|cameo]] role, writing that this was "a sign of how confident the show has become about the world it's created, and deservedly so."<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120713020424/http://blogs.sfweekly.com/exhibitionist/2012/06/my_little_pony_recap_season_2_episodes_12_13.php|url=http://blogs.sfweekly.com/exhibitionist/2012/06/my_little_pony_recap_season_2_episodes_12_13.php|first=Sherilyn|last=Connelly|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-07-13|date=2012-06-13|title=My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, Season 2, Episodes 12 & 13|website=[[SF Weekly]]|access-date=2025-06-17}}</ref>
''Anime Superhero News'' called the episode "by far one of the best episodes of the show" and praised its mixture of seriousness and humor, original storyline, and expanded Equestrian history.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://animesuperhero.com/mlp-friendship-is-magic-family-appreciation-day-recap/|author=SammyT|title=MLP: Friendship is Magic "Family Appreciation Day" Recap|website=Anime Superhero News|date=2012-01-11|access-date=2025-06-17}}</ref>
Raymond Gallant of ''Freakin' Awesome Network'' gave the episode a rating of 7 out of 10 and called it "an okay episode" with a great surprise ending. He praised the addition of Ponyville's origin story and the creativity of the zap apples, but criticized the minimal presence of the [[Mane Six]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.freakinawesomenetwork.net/2012/01/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-season-2-episode-12-review/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140308053626/http://www.freakinawesomenetwork.net/2012/01/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-season-2-episode-12-review/|first=Raymond|last=Gallant|title=My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Season 2, Episode 12 Review|website=Freakin Awesome Network|date=2012-01-09|access-date=2025-06-17|url-status=dead|archive-date=2014-03-08}}</ref>
A review from ''Republibot'' called the episode "an instant classic" and praised it for tackling dual moral lessons about [[Filial piety|respect for elders]] and [[conformity|social conformity]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Church|title=EPISODE REVIEW: Friendship is Magic: Family Appreciation Day|website=Republibot|date=2012-01-09|access-date=2025-06-14|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112011356/http://www.republibot.com/content/episode-review-friendship-magic-family-appreciation-day|archive-date=2020-11-12|url=http://www.republibot.com/content/episode-review-friendship-magic-family-appreciation-day}}</ref>
== In popular culture == The episode was referenced in [[Alan Moore]] and [[Kevin O'Neill (comics)|Kevin O'Neill]]'s ''[[The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen]]'' Vol. III, where a zap apple [[energy drink]] is shown alongside a can of [[Duff Beer]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.flayrah.com/5315/most-obscure-my-little-pony-nod-ever|title=The most obscure 'My Little Pony' nod ever|first=Brendan|last=Kachel|date=2013-08-28|access-date=2025-06-17|website=flayrah}}</ref>
== Home media release == The episode was part of the Season 2 [[DVD]] set, released by [[Shout! Factory|Shout Factory]] on May 14, 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/My-Little-Pony-Friendship-Magic/dp/B00C0YUY4Q/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top|title=My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic: Season 2|website=Amazon |date=February 27, 2013|access-date=March 25, 2013|archive-date=April 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210404071625/https://www.amazon.com/My-Little-Pony-Friendship-Magic/dp/B00C0YUY4Q/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top|url-status=live}}</ref>
== See also == * [[List of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic episodes|List of ''My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic'' episodes]]
== References == {{reflist}}
===Bibliography=== * {{Cite book |last=Connelly |first=Sherilyn |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Ponyville_Confidential/E3VPDgAAQBAJ |title=Ponyville Confidential: The History and Culture of My Little Pony, 1981-2016 |date=2017-04-01 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-1-4766-6209-1 |language=en}}
== External links == * {{IMDb episode|2135785}}
{{My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic episodes|2|state=expanded}}
[[Category:My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic episodes]] [[Category:2012 American television episodes]] [[Category:2012 Canadian television episodes]]