Annie Holmquist: How ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ symbolizes the triumph of common sense

Dec. 9th marks the anniversary of the Christmas TV special which basically birthed all others : “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”

Most Americans know the plot well. The despondent Charlie Brown who just can’t work up his Christmas cheer amidst crass commercialism. The confident and obnoxious Lucy, who finds the allegedly perfect solution to Charlie Brown’s gloom. The ill-fated Christmas pageant, which confirms Charlie Brown’s status as a loser. And finally, the rebirth of Christmas cheer that comes through Linus’ recitation of the original Christmas story.

But while the basic story is a charming tale with which many of us can empathize, I find the backstory of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” almost more so.

For those unfamiliar with the tale, “A Charlie Brown Christmas” went from conceptio