Reason for the Season... Merry Christmas
One of my all time favorite things to watch around the Christmas season is A Charlie Brown Christmas which as childish as it is, brings me around to a time when things were simpler; the world was much smaller and more peaceful; and a time when nothing but joy and anticipation were all that mattered.
The greatness that the Peanuts comic strip and subsequent movies was to provide a voice to the laments of adults but through the simplistic and straight-forward minds of children. Children always have a way to mowing through the fluff and getting to the heart of any matter. Never before I have I been perplexed to answer the simplest of questions when they are posed by a child. So as Charlie Brown fights to understand the meaning of Christmas, we too as the audience are forced to think of what Christmas' true meaning is.
Charlie Brown confides in Linus that even with all the hoopla surrounding the holiday with all its merriment, gifts, cards, and trees; he feels depressed during the holiday season because it feels "too commercialized". I too feel the lamenting that has presented itself to Charlie Brown in that we seem to move past the special stories and lives that we are supposed to remember and instead focus on what we are getting and what we are giving others. Why don't we extend the idea of giving to others throughout the year and instead have to be forced to only remember to do so during the snowy-white days of Christmas?
When Charlie Brown expresses his grief to Lucy, she suggests that he take over as the director for the school's rendition of the nativity scene. Why not get more involved in the process and maybe the light will shine through the school play.
As Charlie Brown begins the arduous task to coordinating the other kids, he is even more perplexed in that the other kids seem to want nothing but to modernize the whole scene. This is even made worse when Charlie Brown encounters Snoopy frantically decorating his doghouse for a neighborhood decorating contest. If the problem of commercialization has gone the way of the dogs, what can he do?
Thinking that a Christmas tree can corral the rambunctious kids, he sets off to find the "perfect" Christmas tree... and well, we all know how that turned out. The decorated tree is a far cry from that "perfect" tree we are bombarded with by retailers.
When he arrives back at school he is immediately chastised by the other kids which forces him to question if he really knows what Christmas is all about. He voices his frustration to which Linus says he'll tell him what Christmas is about...
"'8And 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 tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, 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 and goodwill towards men.'" Second chapter of the Gospels according to Luke, verses 8 through 14 (King James Version).
"...And that's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."
Charles Schultz received a lot of criticism for wanting to quote a bible verse in his Christmas Special to which, I can only hope we would all be so bold, he replied "If we don't tell the true meaning of Christmas, who will?"
Charlie Brown now realizes that Christ is the reason for the season and he, and he alone can overcome the over commercialization of the Christmas season and find the true reason to celebrate Christmas. With his new found inspiration, he takes his tree and runs off to decorate it so that it will fit in for the play.
On his way home, he stops by Snoopy's doghouse and finds that Snoopy has won first place for his decorations. He adds an ornament to his tree which causes it to flop over and he decries that he has "killed it."
The other children, having heard Linus' recitation of the true meaning of Christmas realize that they have been too hard on Charlie, quietly followed Charlie Brown from the auditorium.
Linus goes up to the little tree and gently props the drooping branch back to its upright position, ornament and all; and wraps his security blanket around the tree. After they add the remaining decorations from Snoopy's doghouse to the tree, the kids then start humming the Christmas carol, "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing." When Charlie Brown sees what they have done with the tree, he cannot believe his eyes, and the kids give him a rousing "Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!" before singing "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" as the end credits roll.
What I wish for is for us to realize that there is much more to the Christmas season and that we need to remember to be kind to others and to respect each other's beliefs. Let us continue this warm feeling throughout the year and bring love and tidings to all we encounter throughout the year.
God Bless...
One of my all time favorite things to watch around the Christmas season is A Charlie Brown Christmas which as childish as it is, brings me around to a time when things were simpler; the world was much smaller and more peaceful; and a time when nothing but joy and anticipation were all that mattered.
The greatness that the Peanuts comic strip and subsequent movies was to provide a voice to the laments of adults but through the simplistic and straight-forward minds of children. Children always have a way to mowing through the fluff and getting to the heart of any matter. Never before I have I been perplexed to answer the simplest of questions when they are posed by a child. So as Charlie Brown fights to understand the meaning of Christmas, we too as the audience are forced to think of what Christmas' true meaning is.
Charlie Brown confides in Linus that even with all the hoopla surrounding the holiday with all its merriment, gifts, cards, and trees; he feels depressed during the holiday season because it feels "too commercialized". I too feel the lamenting that has presented itself to Charlie Brown in that we seem to move past the special stories and lives that we are supposed to remember and instead focus on what we are getting and what we are giving others. Why don't we extend the idea of giving to others throughout the year and instead have to be forced to only remember to do so during the snowy-white days of Christmas?
When Charlie Brown expresses his grief to Lucy, she suggests that he take over as the director for the school's rendition of the nativity scene. Why not get more involved in the process and maybe the light will shine through the school play.
As Charlie Brown begins the arduous task to coordinating the other kids, he is even more perplexed in that the other kids seem to want nothing but to modernize the whole scene. This is even made worse when Charlie Brown encounters Snoopy frantically decorating his doghouse for a neighborhood decorating contest. If the problem of commercialization has gone the way of the dogs, what can he do?
Thinking that a Christmas tree can corral the rambunctious kids, he sets off to find the "perfect" Christmas tree... and well, we all know how that turned out. The decorated tree is a far cry from that "perfect" tree we are bombarded with by retailers.
When he arrives back at school he is immediately chastised by the other kids which forces him to question if he really knows what Christmas is all about. He voices his frustration to which Linus says he'll tell him what Christmas is about...
"'8And 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 tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, 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 and goodwill towards men.'" Second chapter of the Gospels according to Luke, verses 8 through 14 (King James Version).
"...And that's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."
Charles Schultz received a lot of criticism for wanting to quote a bible verse in his Christmas Special to which, I can only hope we would all be so bold, he replied "If we don't tell the true meaning of Christmas, who will?"
Charlie Brown now realizes that Christ is the reason for the season and he, and he alone can overcome the over commercialization of the Christmas season and find the true reason to celebrate Christmas. With his new found inspiration, he takes his tree and runs off to decorate it so that it will fit in for the play.
On his way home, he stops by Snoopy's doghouse and finds that Snoopy has won first place for his decorations. He adds an ornament to his tree which causes it to flop over and he decries that he has "killed it."
The other children, having heard Linus' recitation of the true meaning of Christmas realize that they have been too hard on Charlie, quietly followed Charlie Brown from the auditorium.
Linus goes up to the little tree and gently props the drooping branch back to its upright position, ornament and all; and wraps his security blanket around the tree. After they add the remaining decorations from Snoopy's doghouse to the tree, the kids then start humming the Christmas carol, "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing." When Charlie Brown sees what they have done with the tree, he cannot believe his eyes, and the kids give him a rousing "Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!" before singing "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" as the end credits roll.
What I wish for is for us to realize that there is much more to the Christmas season and that we need to remember to be kind to others and to respect each other's beliefs. Let us continue this warm feeling throughout the year and bring love and tidings to all we encounter throughout the year.
God Bless...
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