Peanuts by Charles Schulz for December 03, 2023

Don’t be a Santa denier, Charlie Brown.

It’s worth a shot. And he has a much better chance of getting everything on his list.

Record player. Portable TV. I’ve heard of those.

This is why the other kids don’t like you, Charlie Brown!

Does any kid ever get a pony for Christmas?

Oh Santa Claus, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz?

Linus: This is the time of year to write to the Great Pumpkin. On Halloween night, the Great Pumpkin rises out of his pumpkin patch and flies through the air with his bag of toys for all the children!

Charlie Brown: You must be crazy. When are you going to stop believing in something that isn’t true?

Linus: When you stop believing in that fellow with a red suit and the white beard who goes, “Ho, ho, ho!”

Charlie Brown: We’re obviously separated by denominational differences.

It was in the news here in Iceland some years ago that a kid in Sunday school asked his pastor whether there really was a Santa Clause. The pastor answered truthfully and told the boy that there was no Santa Clause. The boy’s mother complained to the bishop and demanded that the pastor be fired. Fortunately, the bishop realized that the pastor hadn’t done anything wrong, and he was not fired.

I have a copy of Virginia O’Hanlon’s original letter, and Francis Church’s reply taped to my fridge.

I think that if children ask if Santa is real at an early age (5-7) don’t tell them the truth. It will be devastating for them. I was 8 and asked my mom and she told me the truth. Even at 8, was upset.

How easy it is to take the theological high ground when it’s applied to someone else.

Distantly related to today’s comic…PNC bank has put out it’s annual report of how much the items in the song “The 12 Days of Christmas” would cost…https://www.usatoday (dot)com/story/graphics/2023/12/01/inflation-pnc-12-days-of-christmas-gift-price-index/71617997007/

As I was reading Charlie’s myth busting argument, I thought Sally would ask about the myth of Casey at Bat. Then we’d see if Charlie would be that much against myth. Of course, I know he did say we’d have to stop believing in “certain” legends. Probably not Casey.

Religion is silly, but dangerous.

Now if only Charlie Brown could try to convince Linus about the Great Pumpkin.

Santa Claus may or may not be real.

Next the swine will tell her there’s no Great Pumpkin.

Myths have their place in society. They teach us lessons. Many are based on actual events or people with “embellishments.”

Buried within the Santa myth is the concept of giving to others. That’s not a bad lesson to learn.

Unfortunately, it can also be interpreted as “getting from others” or entitlement.

I guess it all depends on how you were raised.

I once played Santa for my granddaughters and a couple of their friends when they were preschoolers. I now know how a rock star must feel when surrounded by his “groupies.” :)

I enjoyed playing with my grandchildren when they were young. It was a lot of fun for me and I miss those days.

Why not ask for a relationship with Linus while you’re at it?

Ah, the age of uncertainty.

I clearly remember the day my older brother destroyed Santa for me. That’s the type of person he was and is which is why we haven’t interacted much in the past 45 years. It’s a shame but I didn’t want him around my kids.

Shame on Schulz for this. How many innocent children saw this in the paper and were devastated? It is not his, nor anyone else’s, place to decide when a child is “old enough” to learn. Besides you don’t know how old the children reading this are!

So Chuck you’re saying there is NO Santa Claus? Asking for a friend….

I find it amazing that so many people find it perfectly okay to lie to their children yet if their children should lie to them they would have a conniption fit. Where do you think that kids learn to lie, from the grown ups around them.

Which is why I am thankful to have been raised without the belief in Santa Clause, rather with the spirit that St. Nicholas represents, with his gifts of fruits, and candies to children. A spirit of giving, and caring. Our children were raised the same way.

He finally stopped believing in that fellow in the red suit and white beard who goes, “HO HO HO!”.

As long as the spirit of love, family and giving exists more strongly in December than other times, I will continue to believe in the spirit of Santa Claus. It’s what I told my kids when they asked.

“Let’s face it, most of us are scoffers. But moments before zero hour, it did not pay to take chances” – Jean Shepherd, “A Christmas Story”

That’s quite a list, Sally…

Sally might have been a little selfish with her long list, but at least she thought of Charlie Brown!

Just play the odds, There’s never any loss in trying……

“You can’t fool me, I know there aint no sanity clause.” – Chico Marx

Got Virginia on the other line…

LOL :)

Superstitions are stupid… but why take chances

I forgot about this particular strip. Kinda surprised it would just tell kids flat out that there is no Santa. Not that I mind.

….and to this day Mr.Charles Brown is heavily invested in hedge funds.

At least she didn’t ask for 10s and 20s.

That’s you all year long Charlie Brown.

One party not listening very well here. By which I mean Charlie listening to himself.

Girls I hung around with when I was around 7 told me there was no Santa. They were 4 yrs older than me. Unfortunately, there weren’t any girls in my neighborhood, my age, to hang around with. Needless to say, my parents were pretty upset!!!

my wife saw something online that said we should let kids believe in Santa, after all there are still adults who believe in the Chicago Bears

Some kids work it out for themselves.

Seeing the term “wishy-washy” in this comic always makes me smile.

Don’t hold your breath about the pony,Sally.

Was this drawn after Schulz had become an agnostic? Hmmm…