Here is my favorite Christmas TV special ever. I’ve watched it almost every year since I was a small child. I always felt like I could relate to Charlie Brown–self doubting, a worrywart, a little avoidant–basically an introvert who tries hard to be liked. He’s never mean to anyone but often seems to be the butt of jokes and pranks, the same way I often was.

Charlie also sees all the commercialism around him every holiday season (yes, it was bad even in the ’60s, when this was made) and yearns to know the true meaning of Christmas. Linus, always the philosopher and deep thinker, has the answer.

It’s refreshing that the story of Christ’s birth is central to this movie, which has been shown every year since it first aired in 1965.

So here’s my Christmas gift to my followers. Enjoy! (This isn’t the entire show, which can’t be found on Youtube, but includes the most important excerpts).

Opening with the cool jazzy music always used in Peanuts specials:

Linus explains the true meaning of Christmas.

The famous Christmas dance: