Santa Claus has a lot going on, especially when it comes to the month of December, which is not made any less stressful by thePeanutsgang. As seen in the many comic strips that show all thePeanutskids and even Snoopy writing letters to Santa, Saint Nick has his work cut out for him with Charlie Brown and friends.
Likewise, numerous comics were made of Snoopy being dressed as Santa as well as the characters mentioning the iconic holiday figure. The presence of Santa Claus in the holiday-themedPeanutsstrips reflects what real kids would be concerned or excited about during Christmastime, except all dialed up to match the unique neuroses and quirks of thePeanutscharacters. As a consequence,many of the Santa-themed comic strips are very relatable, even for contemporary audiences.
10"Just a Last Note"
December 21st, 1966
Peppermint Patty is not necessarily always the most conscientious person. However,she shows genuine concern about Santa Claus' safety and well-being, so she makes sure to tell him at the end of her letter to him to not forget to buckle his seat belt. She also leaves him with warm words, hoping he has “a nice trip.”
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Not many would think about Santa’s safety, showing Peppermint Patty’s caring heart and also her slightly neurotic nature, likemost of thePeanutskids.Peppermint Patty is a unique child, so it is perfectly in line with her character that her letters to Santa also err on the side of the unusual, but in a good way. There may only be one letter that Santa receives telling him to buckle his seat belt, and that letter comes courtesy of Peppermint Patty.
9"Then I Didn’t Hear Your Bell Anymore"
December 17th, 1995
Dressed as Santa Claus, Snoopy rings his bell forthePeanutsneighborhood. Lucy comes up to him and decides to ask him a million and one questions about how, if he is the real Santa, he will accomplish all that needs to be done for Christmas, like delivering gifts all over the world. She is incessant with her questions and goes about asking them in not the kindest way either.
At a certain point, Snoopy decides he can’t stand any more and shoves his bell in Lucy’s face to get her to finally stop talking, silencing his bell in the process.It is a common sight to see Snoopy dressed as Santa Claus when the Christmas season starts, because the surprisingly altruistic pup collects money for charity, much like how the Salvation Army has numerous Santas collecting donations around the United States.
8"April Fool!"
December 25th, 1991
Sally decides to play trickster when, on Christmas morning, she runs into Charlie Brown’s room and exclaims that Santa came but did not leave them a thing.After getting Charlie Brown riled upand scared, she drops the “April Fool” on him, letting him know it was all a prank and that he has received his presents from Santa Claus.
Any kid would be extremely upset at the idea of not receiving presents from Santa, so Sally really went for the jugular by pranking Charlie Brown.
Given that it is December and not anywhere close to April, Sally’s prank is a little oddly timed, but she seems to have fun messing with her big brother nevertheless. Any kid would be extremely upset at the idea of not receiving presents from Santa, soSally really went for the jugular by pranking Charlie Brown. Getting an April Fool’s prank is not the best way to be woken up, especially not on Christmas of all days.
7"He Remembered!"
December 26th, 1982
Taking Woodstock on a tour of all the proof that Santa came on Christmas and delivered his gifts to thePeanutskids, Snoopy reveals that birds and dogs do not count to Santa Claus with some harsh words about themselves. Snoopy also throws a bit of a pity party for the pair, wallowing in self-pity that an innocent little bird and a faithful dog do not get anything. However, Saint Nick proves Snoopy wrong by throwing some gift ties at them that hit them head on… literally.
Snoopy’s cynical view of his and Woodstock’s place on Santa’s list is fortunately proved wrong, and the pair have some ties to use on one of their many adventures. Snoopy seems to be an expert on Santa, showing his best bud all the telltale signs of Santa’s presence, like identifying the sleigh tracks in the snow; yet Snoopy is wrong in his assumption that he andWoodstock will remainempty-handed on Christmas.
6"Tens and Twenties"
December 20th, 1962
Lucy, being the pragmatic young lady she is, writes to Santa Claus and gets to the point immediately, since she knows that he has a lot on his plate. Not only does she get to the point, butshe also decides to make things easier on him by just asking for money, and she would prefer (and lets that preference be known) that the bills be tens and twenties.
This strip has been adapted into the TV specialA Charlie Brown Christmas- except in the special,Sally replaces the role that Lucy plays in this comic.
Most kids would ask for toys but not Lucy; she wants Santa to be her ATM. Giving a kid some cash is not as classic or as heartwarming as giving them a toy that makes their face light up with joy and wonder. Then again, Lucy is not the average kid by any stretch of the imagination, so dealing with her, whether by Santa Claus or anyone else, is bound to lead one even more off the beaten path.
5"Some Kind of Disturbance"
December 14th, 1985
Charlie Brown is watching the news, which includes a shocking story about a department store Santa who has had a heart attack and gets taken to the hospital for emergency surgery. Coincidentally - or not - this event was preceded just moments before by a little girl causing a ruckus at the store. While that is a surprising story, even more shocking is that the little girl in question is Sally.
Thewhole debacle for Sallyall starts whenshe starts worrying about Santa Claus' health, especially his heart, which hits a fever pitch when she tries to touch the Santa’s ear lobes to check for a crease that would possibly denote coronary vessel problems. The department store’s Santa understandably gets mad and has Sally thrown out, causing her to throw a fit in the store. It turns out thatSally was kind of right to be worried about Santa’s health - at least the department store’s Santa’s health.
4"Woof Woof Woof"
December 19th, 1989
Linus and Sally stroll past Snoopy in his Santa Claus get up as they question why this particular Santa Claus says “woof” rather than “Ho, ho, ho!“As much as Snoopy thinks interesting thoughts (or so he presumes), he is limited in his speech to all thePeanutscharacters, expect birds like Woodstock and other dogs like his siblings and his love interests. As a result,he may have meant to say “ho, ho, ho,“but instead it all just comes out as barks and “woofs.”
This strip was adapted into one of several holiday-themed TV specials:It’s Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown.
Snoopy does his best in his role as Santa to collect donations for charity, but he always manages to show some not-so-holly-jolly characteristics, like throwing a bell in Lucy’s face or barking instead of talking. Funnily enough, while Snoopy is not the most convincing Santa, his Santa alter ego is immensely popular in the real world, with plushies even made of him in his Santa outfit.
3"It’s Nice Having a Male Secretary”
December 22nd, 1968
Lucy dictates to Linuswhat she wants in her letter to Santa and then, like a business mogul would tell their secretary or personal assistant, tells Linus to type the Santa letter up with three copies and send it out today. Linus, being the agreeable kid he is, does so, prompting Lucy to remark that it is really nice having a secretary in Linus.
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It is not at all out of the ordinary for Lucy to boss Linus, or anyone else, around, sohim basically acting as her secretary is not that far-fetched.Plus, Lucy gets busy around the holiday season, between her psychiatry clients and pulling footballs away from Charlie Brown, so the need for a secretary is all too clear for her. Given how well Linus did as her letter writer, Lucy may task Linus with the job every Christmas.
2"I’ll Share It”
December 24th, 1998
In a storyline about Rerun asking for a dog from Santa for Christmas, Lucy gives him the harsh blow that their mom will be against a dog being a new addition to the household, despite Rerun telling anyone who would listen that he is getting a dog from Santa.
Commiserating with Snoopy about how he knows that, despite his wish to have a dog, Santa will not be bringing him one, he gets down in the dumps and thinks that even getting a pair of socks and an orange will be a stretch for him. Snoopy, in a rare show of generosity, lets the disappointed youngster know that if he gets a rubber bone for Christmas, he will share it with him. Snoopy is usually a bit on the stingy side, withhis willingness to share his bone showing how close a bond Snoopy and Rerun share.
1"Well, Perhaps Not”
December 7th, 1963
Charlie Brown writes a letter to Santa Claus on behalf of Snoopy,trying to persuade Santa of how good of a dog he is.However, their plan hits a snag when Charlie Brown goes a bit overboard and writes that Snoopy would even be willing to take over a sick reindeer’s role to pull the sleigh if needed. Snoopy does not want that responsibility on his plate and makes it very clear to Charlie Brown, who backtracks in the letter but still sings Snoopy’s praises to get the pup a spot on the nice list.
While Snoopy may have a good heart, he is also incredibly lazy, so Charlie Brown’s volunteering the beagle to guide Santa’s sleigh if needed is a definite no-no for Snoopy.
While Snoopy may have a good heart, he is also incredibly lazy, so Charlie Brown’s volunteering the beagle to guide Santa’s sleigh if needed is a definite no-no for Snoopy. In all fairness, Santa has a pretty exhausting job, even in the world ofPeanuts, so one can understand Snoopy’s stark rebuttal.
Peanuts
Created by Charles M. Schulz, Peanuts is a multimedia franchise that began as a comic strip in the 1950s and eventually expanded to include films and a television series. Peanuts follows the daily adventures of the Peanuts gang, with Charlie Brown and his dog Snoopy at the center of them. Aside from the film released in 2015, the franchise also has several Holiday specials that air regularly on U.S. Television during their appropriate seasons.
