For many people, it isn’t really Christmastime until they watch the timelessA Charlie Brown Christmas, a holiday special that only seems to age better as time goes by. It first aired in 1965, nearly 60 years ago, and, to this day, it stands as a landmark of American television, bringing the popularPeanutscomics stripsto the TV screen for the first time, and taking major risks like hiring actual children to voice the characters and rejecting the use of a laugh track (which was a must-do in animated specials in the ’60s).
A Charlie Brown Christmassurprises with an unconventional tone, shying away from the standardized vision of Christmastime and envelopingthe holiday seasonwith not only longing and rumination, but also a distinctive sense of humor and the glamor of sweet childhood innocence. For the first time in decades,A Charlie Brown Christmaswill not air on TV, but its legacy will live on forever.
Christmastime Is the Most Reflective Time of the Year
A Charlie Brown Christmasopens like one would expectany typical Christmas special: snow is falling, children are playing on the ice, and a beautiful choir can be heard announcing the arrival of the joyful season. Before long, however, Charlie Brown confesses the Christmas spirit hasn’t gotten to him yet. He unloads his fears and insecurities to the audience, and invites the viewer to hop along and find out whether Christmas still has meaning after all. The TV special lays out its ideas from the very start, welcoming its audience to stop and think, for once, about how the Christmas spirit that descends upon them truly affects them: is it coming from their hearts, or is it just the pressure of a visibly changing season propelling them to follow the tide?
Charlie Brown embodies each and every person who faces a continuous sense of defeat during Christmastime, either through the frustration of not finding the right gift for someone or through the need to find meaning in every little gesture. All of a sudden, all the lights and ornaments are supposed to mean something, and, for a while, the world ischanged, albeit superficially.
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A Charlie Brown Christmasis far from a conventional Christmas tale. It’s much more of a reminder of all the different aspects of the season from the quick-witted, ever-curious perspective of children. Only such innocent eyes could grasp the nuanced undertones that surround them with the arrival of Christmastime, turning it into the most reflective time of the year. Through their eyes, something meaningful must stay even after the Christmas lights are taken down. “I never eat December snowflakes”, says Lucy at some point, “I always wait until January.”
The Consumerist Side of Christmas Versus the Shimmering Christmas Lights
One of the bestPeanutstrademarks is how often these characters appear to be grown-ups in children’s bodies, while, ironically, the truth is that adults never really let that child within themselves fade away. That’s what makes Charles M. Schulz’s strips so easy to resonate with: he manages to capture the gleam of childhood while simultaneously tackling the existential confusion that travels with each person with each passing year — or, perhaps more correctly, each passing Christmas. To illustrate this nostalgic feeling that comes with the holiday season while embracing its distinctive atmosphere,A Charlie Brown Christmasdelivers one of the most iconic soundtracks of all time: a handful of breezy jazz tunes composed by Vince Guaraldi that gives the TV special a distinctly sophisticated appeal.
Aside fromA Charlie Brown Christmas’moving meditative appeal, thePeanutsholiday specialalso explores the oppressive consumerist side of Christmas as opposed to its origins, that is, the birth of Jesus in Christianity. These are both recurring topics when the subject is Christmas, but not put in such a straightforward manner in a children’s TV special. Lucy puts out a “Psychiatric Help” stand, hoping to realize her dream of real estate. Charlie Brown transcribes Sally’s letter to Santa Claus, where she indirectly hints at her wish to get money on Christmas. Even Charlie Brown’s dog, Snoopy, fell under the spell of money by decorating his doghouse with the purpose of winning a local lights and display contest.
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And then there’sA Charlie Brown Christmas’strong Christian subtext, which seems to annoy a good portion of its modern audience nowadays. The scene in which Linus recites scripture can be a deal-breaker for many viewers. However, while this may be understandable, it’s important to give it credit for how honest it is about its intentions. It’s frank, but not pretentious, and most importantly, it’s vital for Charlie Brown’s own quest of self-discovery. The scene isn’t interested in converting viewers, but rather reminding them where this tradition comes from and, thus, celebrating its faith with an open heart.
The current times are delicate times; people are more free than ever to share their beliefs without the fear of being judged, and yet, somehow, doing so feels strangely wrong. There’s a reason whyA Charlie Brown Christmasresonates with so many people to this day, including people with different beliefs: the whole special is shamelessly honest about its Christian undertone, but that merely presents a single part of a broader scope.
Each year, the grandeur of Christmas prompts us to wish for big things, yet we somehow end up settling for smaller, meaningful things. Instead of settling for the many opportunities laid out before him, Charlie Brown ultimately goes his own way. His relationship with the despondent Christmas tree he stumbles upon is more personal than it seems at first, and every rewatch ofthis Charlie Brown holiday specialsheds a new light on this small, meaningful moment.A Charlie Brown Christmascomes full circle, ending just as it started: with a beautiful children’s choir. However, this time, Charlie Brown is no longer alone.Stream on AppleTV+
