When I opened my hotel room door Wednesday morning, the front page of USA Today sitting outside of it made me smile. It featured a big picture of the Peanuts characters in A Charlie Brown Christmas, one of my holiday favorites. But what’s this about being a baby boomer tradition!
The classic that almost wasn’t is the USA Today article, a great surprise explaining how the television special came about and how the producer didn’t think it was going to work. Of course, it’s a classic now. It aired Wednesday night on TV here in the US.
I’ve already watched it with my kids back in the UK. It’s not shown there on TV, but I make up for it by us all watching it on DVD. Despite it being 40 years old, it still stands up for them. They love Charlie Brown, especially love Snoopy, though why the football he kicks is oval rather than round confuses them!
My jaw dropped when I got into the part of the article where a television professor called the Christmas special a “baby boomer” tradition. I’m not a baby boomer. I’m Generation X. I and my generation were the ones watching this show when we were children. And yes, it’s very much a tradition for me to watch, just like I do with my own kids.
But my mother? She is a baby boomer, and I know it never occurs to her to watch the show. She didn’t grow up watching it entranced. I did, as did others of my generation. I’d argue this isn’t a baby boomer tradition but rather a Gen X one.
The USA Today story also mentions some other Christmas favorites, such as Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer. I remember reading on Chris Pirillo’s blog recently that he didn’t feel that classic held up for him. It still does for me, as it does for the kids, as well.
In fact, we not only watch it each year, we also listen to the soundtrack when decorating the tree and during the Christmas period as well. I got a big smile the other day when my six year old, listening to it while making cookies, told me he loved “One Foot In Front Of The Other” and wanted me to play it again
Like these classics as a tradition yourself but missed them when they came on TV or want to watch them again. I highly recommend these DVD box sets:
- Peanuts Holiday Collection (): This covers “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” plus you get “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” and “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” all of which I drag out before each holiday for the kids.
- The Original Television Christmas Classics): This gives you “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town,” “Frosty the Snowman,” “Frosty Returns” and “The Little Drummer Boy.” I also have Easter Bunny’s Coming to Town, which is the same Rankin/Bass stop motion animation and another classic I drag out to the eager kids for the holiday. I saw that there was a sequel made to Rudolph recently, but my friend Michelle told me it was awful, so I skipped getting it.
And if you like the these classics, you’ll love listening to these soundtracks, which have all the great songs from the classics above:
- A Charlie Brown Christmas: The Original Sound Track Recording Of The CBS Television Special
- Rudolph Frosty & Friends Favorite Xmas Songs
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Danny, I saw the same article and enjoyed it as well. I smiled when I saw your comment about listening to the Rudolph soundtrack while decorating the Christmas tree, as this has been my family’s tradition since I was a little girl. I’m an “older” Gen X’er, and as a child we listened to Rudolph on vinyl. Now my children enjoy it on CD…. Anyway, thanks for sharing!
PS, great SES show this week – I had fun and learned lots!! Attended the Evening Forum for the first time and it was as entertaining as it had been billed to be. Kudos to you and the rest of the SES team.