A Charlie Brown Christmas

Technically, I don’t know if you can call this brilliant piece of work a movie because it’s only twenty-five minutes long—thirty with commercials inserted. Nowadays, you can watch it any time, in full color, without commercials, simply by finding it on You Tube. But when I was a kid, it aired once a year with plenty of fanfare leading to the big event so you could be sure to catch it—provided the winter weather didn’t mess with your antenna and turn your TV screen to snow. Even in black and white, it was worth waiting for.

A Charlie Brown Christmas was created in only six months in 1965, on a shoestring budget. The producers broke from common practice by hiring children to do the voice work, by using a jazz soundtrack (performed by pianist Vince Guaraldi), and by not using a laugh track. Experts predicted it would be a huge flop. Fifty-four years later, this classic remains a must-see in many homes every Christmas.

The story begins with a typically depressed Charlie Brown, who visits Lucy’s Psychiatric Help booth to share his dismay over the commercialization of Christmas. His sister Sally writes to Santa saying she wants cash—particularly tens and twenties. Lucy complains about always getting toys instead of what she wants: real estate. Even Charlie Brown’s dog Snoopy succumbs, turning his doghouse into a gaudy display in hopes of winning a neighborhood contest.

Upon receiving Lucy’s five-cent advice, Charlie takes on the project of directing the Christmas play, which only leads to more frustration as the entire cast remains distracted by the glitz and glitter of Christmas. When Charlie picks out a Christmas tree, he chooses a spindly one—symbolically, the only real tree on the lot—recognizing that it just needs a little love. For this too, Charlie Brown becomes a laughingstock. In desperation, he cries out, “Can’t anyone out there tell me what Christmas is all about?”

To which a tiny voice responds, “Sure, Charlie Brown. I can tell you.”

Thus begins the pivotal moment when little Linus, blanket in hand, takes the spotlight. He quotes Luke 2:8-14 verbatim from the King James Bible. At the end, in his sweet little lisp, Linus says, “And that’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”

The simple but brilliant message reflects the heart of Peanuts creator Charles Shultz. One subtle but important element of Linus’s big scene goes unnoticed by most of us. At the exact moment when the angel says, “Fear not!”, Linus drops his security blanket to the stage floor.

When our daughter and son-in-law named their son Linus, I knew I wanted to give him something significant for his first Christmas. It took some hunting, but I found a little figurine of Linus van Pelt as he appears on stage for his recitation. When you press a button on the bottom, you hear the story from Luke in Linus’s voice. I hope it keeps working until our Linus matures enough to appreciate the full meaning of it.

How are your Christmas preparations coming along? Are you becoming caught up in the lights, the food, the shopping, the presents? Are you enjoying freedom from security blankets because God’s gift at Christmas taught us that perfect love casts out fear? I hope you’ll take some time this season to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas with fresh eyes and an open heart. Enjoy the nostalgia. Reflect on Linus’s recital. Notice the blanket drop. Read the passage for yourself. And join the children when they sing, “Peace on earth and mercy mild; God and sinners, reconciled.”