Yes it's true, all you Peanuts fans. On December 9, wayyyyy back in 1965, "A Charlie Brown Christmas" premiered on CBS for the very first time.

What has been proven to be a timeless holiday classic is more than half a century old, believe it or not. It's certainly captured the hearts of many. The popular comic strip created by Charles Schulz in 1950 was already a global phenomenon by the mid-1960s, so an animated TV special was the next step. And what a step it was....

"A Charlie Brown Christmas" was so popular, it spawned an entire run of television specials including a few other Christmas-related ones. This special actually won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Program in 1966, and the soundtrack composed by Vince Guaraldi was voted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

A brief plot summary: Charlie Brown becomes depressed due to the commercialism of Christmas. It's up to Charlie's friend Linus to ultimately restore his faith by explaining to Charlie the true meaning of Christmas. That message also works on the viewers of the special.

The other day, I stopped at a convenience store on Elm Street in Pittsfield to get something to quench my thirst and I noticed that the girl behind the counter was wearing a Charlie Brown t-shirt. Her response to me after I inquired if she was having a good day was(and I quote): "Don't forget. Charlie Brown Christmas Special is on tonight." I sincerely thanked her for the reminder.

 

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