Merry Christmas Charlie Brown!

Our favorite blockhead has gotten a rock for Halloween, survived popcorn at Thanksgiving and is now facing the Christmas holiday.  In A Charlie Brown Christmas, Charlie Brown is depressed despite all that’s happening around him.

Charlie Brown decides to take the advice of Lucy and help out in the school play about the Nativity.  On his way there, he runs into Snoopy who is decorating his doghouse for a contest and Sally who wants Santa to just send cash.  Disgusted, he goes to rehearsal only to find he can’t control the situation.  The kids want to modernize the play, adding dancing and music, but Charlie’s determined to not let it be commercialized and show the traditional story.

In order to get everyone in the mood, Charlie Brown decides to go and get a Christmas tree.  Lucy tells him to go get a big aluminum tree, but Charlie settles on a small, little wood tree that “needs a little love.”  He brings back the tree and gets chastised by the kids.  Lamenting, he asks loudly if anyone can tell him what Christmas is all about.  Linus says he can and quietly speaks:

“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

⁹And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. ¹⁰And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. ¹¹For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. ¹²And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. ¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, ¹⁴Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (Luke 2:8-14)

Charlie Brown realizes he doesn’t have to let the commercialism get to him, so he takes his little tree and leaves.  He takes an ornament off of Snoopy’s prize winning house and places it on his tree.  The tree bends and Charlie Brown laments, thinking he’s killed it.  The rest of the gang shows up and fixes the tree with the decorations from Snoopy’s house.  They then start humming “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing” and bring a smile to Charlie Brown’s face.

The famous Charles Schultz cartoon is one of my favorites.  It aired for the first time on CBS in 1965 and has been on the air ever since.  Like some other Christmas specials, it focuses on anti-commercialism and getting back to why we celebrate to begin with.  Linus’s speech is one that sticks with you, no matter what denomination or religion, it just hits you right where it’s meant to.  It’s such a great story.