For many, part of the Christmas holiday season is marked by viewing A Charlie Brown Christmas. Since it first aired in 1965, its yearly appearance during the holiday season has made it a staple for many’s plans and festivities.
However, the average viewer likely doesn’t know about the animated classic’s background. Sure, it features the fun adventures of Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, and the Peanuts crew, but there’s something much deeper about the special itself, according to Jeannie Schulz, widow of Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz.
“It points out our greed, our commercialism,” she told Morning Edition. “And it points them out with humor so we can laugh at them — laugh at ourselves.”
The secret ties to greed and commercialism are hardly the only trivia that has been lost over time. Keep reading to learn 10 facts you didn’t know about A Charlie Brown Christmas.