When you get to be our age, you have a lifetime of holiday memories. Whether you are of the Christian faith, Jewish, or everywhere in between, the holidays have always been a pivotal point between one year and the next.
I’ve tried hard to hang onto the magic of Christmas. “A Christmas Story” movie, which hit the screens in 1983, captures the glory of Christmas through the eyes of a child. Jean Shephard’s incredible writing and gift of storytelling was unequalled. We lost this Chicago native in 1999, yet his legacy remains.
There are a bunch of us who can relate to his childhood, his experiences, and his memories. It was the perfect combination of writing, direction, casting, and the delivery. It was done so well you can feel the cold, smell the coal of a “blasted, stupid furnace,” and feel the raw emotion of a child growing up during the Great Depression. All of the silly stupid kid experiences – the music, the triple dog dare, the neighborhood bully and his little toady, a screaming mother, the idle threats of a clueless father, and the battle of wits over a “major award” leg lamp – the latter of which you had to wonder ever existed.
In truth, the leg lamp was a figment of Shephard’s imagination, yet conceivably something Madison Avenue would come up with. The leg lamp reminds me of my father when he brought home a cheesy particle board mid-century modern record cabinet and commented on how beautiful it was – however, only in his eyes.
Another Christmas favorite is “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and the magic of cartoonist Charles M. Schultz. At age 9, I had no idea who Charlie Brown because, unlike most kids, I didn’t read the comics. However, my dad did. he marched into the living room and said, “We’re going to watch Charlie Brown…” to which I said, “what’s a Charlie Brown?” I’d soon learn…
“A Charlie Brown Christmas” really was an advertising exercise when you cut through the muck of television advertising and CBS. It was a terrific idea they were convinced would fail. They just didn’t understand what a great idea it was. It became a phenomenon with baby boomers and generations to follow. It was based on the Charlie Brown comic strip, which debuted in 1950 and became a huge success. It became the first comic strip to become a TV special.
The first ever Charlie Brown holiday television special, sponsored by Coca-Cola, was produced in whirlwind fashion in a matter of weeks virtually void of a budget, airing in just six months to a receptive audience – adults and children alike. Seems a lot of kids could relate to Charlie Brown and the cast of characters. Historians say this special was unconventional in every possible way. They hired child actors to do the voiceovers. The musical soundtrack was a jazz score produced by pianist Vince Guaraldi. The cartoon work was simple in scope and predicted to fail.
“A Charlie Brown Christmas” grabbed our hearts by the throat and became an annual holiday tradition. We’ve been tuning in ever since and for 60 years! For a long time, some 56 years, it aired on CBS. In due course, it slipped away to other network venues including the latest – Apple TV+ as a streaming grab.
Though “A Charlie Brown Christmas” was expected to fail, the outcome was completely unexpected. It enjoyed high ratings and got both an Emmy and the Peabody Award. Critics loved it. “A Charlie Brown Christmas” remains a holiday favorite because it makes us feel safe, innocent, and with a warm heart. It set the tone for a series of Peanuts specials in the years to follow. What’s more, its Vince Guaraldi jazz soundtrack sold some five million copies in the United States alone.
May each of you have a safe and glorious holiday season as we welcome 2026, in hopes of better times and finding that ongoing path to peace both domestically and worldwide. We could use a little more Charles Schultz and Jean Shephard.
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