It was 50 years ago this evening that audiences were first treated to an instant classic: A Charlie Brown Christmas. No TV special is more synonymous with any holiday than the Peanuts gang and its jazzy romp through the ups and downs of the Christmas season.

I enjoyed A Charlie Brown Christmas when I was a kid, I enjoyed it as a young adult, and I enjoy it now watching with a kid of my own. That’s the beauty of Peanuts, actually: it works for kids and grownups alike. Ditto Christmas, ditto joy and sadness, ditto the music of Vince Guaraldi. Ever think about that one? Why does Vince Guaraldi’s music sound so perfect on the early Charlie Brown specials? As other reviewers have noted, it does exactly what Peanuts does: shows a childlike playfulness and an adult sophistication at the same time. (Damn I wish I’d come up with that!)

Charlie Brown, you look as good in 2015 as ever.

And as your friends tell you every year…

Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!!!