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The Joy of a Peanuts Christmas: 50 Years of Holiday Comics!
By Charles M. Schulz The Joy of a Peanuts 50 Years of Holiday Comics! (1st First Edition) [Hardcover]
119 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2000
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428 people want to read
About the author
Charles M. Schulz
3,037 books1,630 followersCharles Monroe Schulz was an American cartoonist, whose comic strip Peanuts proved one of the most popular and influential in the history of the medium, and is still widely reprinted on a daily basis.
Schulz's first regular cartoons, Li'l Folks, were published from 1947 to 1950 by the St. Paul Pioneer Press; he first used the name Charlie Brown for a character there, although he applied the name in four gags to three different boys and one buried in sand. The series also had a dog that looked much like Snoopy. In 1948, Schulz sold a cartoon to The Saturday Evening Post; the first of 17 single-panel cartoons by Schulz that would be published there. In 1948, Schulz tried to have Li'l Folks syndicated through the Newspaper Enterprise Association. Schulz would have been an independent contractor for the syndicate, unheard of in the 1940s, but the deal fell through. Li'l Folks was dropped from the Pioneer Press in January, 1950.
Later that year, Schulz approached the United Feature Syndicate with his best strips from Li'l Folks, and Peanuts made its first appearance on October 2, 1950. The strip became one of the most popular comic strips of all time. He also had a short-lived sports-oriented comic strip called It's Only a Game (1957–1959), but he abandoned it due to the demands of the successful Peanuts. From 1956 to 1965 he contributed a single-panel strip ("Young Pillars") featuring teenagers to Youth, a publication associated with the Church of God.
Peanuts ran for nearly 50 years, almost without interruption; during the life of the strip, Schulz took only one vacation, a five-week break in late 1997. At its peak, Peanuts appeared in more than 2,600 newspapers in 75 countries. Schulz stated that his routine every morning consisted of eating a jelly donut and sitting down to write the day's strip. After coming up with an idea (which he said could take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours), he began drawing it, which took about an hour for dailies and three hours for Sunday strips. He stubbornly refused to hire an inker or letterer, saying that "it would be equivalent to a golfer hiring a man to make his putts for him." In November 1999 Schulz suffered a stroke, and later it was discovered that he had colon cancer that had metastasized. Because of the chemotherapy and the fact he could not read or see clearly, he announced his retirement on December 14, 1999.
Schulz often touched on religious themes in his work, including the classic television cartoon, A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965), which features the character Linus van Pelt quoting the King James Version of the Bible Luke 2:8-14 to explain "what Christmas is all about." In personal interviews Schulz mentioned that Linus represented his spiritual side. Schulz, reared in the Lutheran faith, had been active in the Church of God as a young adult and then later taught Sunday school at a United Methodist Church. In the 1960s, Robert L. Short interpreted certain themes and conversations in Peanuts as being consistent with parts of Christian theology, and used them as illustrations during his lectures about the gospel, as he explained in his bestselling paperback book, The Gospel According to Peanuts, the first of several books he wrote on religion and Peanuts, and other popular culture items. From the late 1980s, however, Schulz described himself in interviews as a "secular humanist": “I do not go to church anymore... I guess you might say I've come around to secular humanism, an obligation I believe all humans have to others and the world we live in.”
Schulz's first regular cartoons, Li'l Folks, were published from 1947 to 1950 by the St. Paul Pioneer Press; he first used the name Charlie Brown for a character there, although he applied the name in four gags to three different boys and one buried in sand. The series also had a dog that looked much like Snoopy. In 1948, Schulz sold a cartoon to The Saturday Evening Post; the first of 17 single-panel cartoons by Schulz that would be published there. In 1948, Schulz tried to have Li'l Folks syndicated through the Newspaper Enterprise Association. Schulz would have been an independent contractor for the syndicate, unheard of in the 1940s, but the deal fell through. Li'l Folks was dropped from the Pioneer Press in January, 1950.
Later that year, Schulz approached the United Feature Syndicate with his best strips from Li'l Folks, and Peanuts made its first appearance on October 2, 1950. The strip became one of the most popular comic strips of all time. He also had a short-lived sports-oriented comic strip called It's Only a Game (1957–1959), but he abandoned it due to the demands of the successful Peanuts. From 1956 to 1965 he contributed a single-panel strip ("Young Pillars") featuring teenagers to Youth, a publication associated with the Church of God.
Peanuts ran for nearly 50 years, almost without interruption; during the life of the strip, Schulz took only one vacation, a five-week break in late 1997. At its peak, Peanuts appeared in more than 2,600 newspapers in 75 countries. Schulz stated that his routine every morning consisted of eating a jelly donut and sitting down to write the day's strip. After coming up with an idea (which he said could take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours), he began drawing it, which took about an hour for dailies and three hours for Sunday strips. He stubbornly refused to hire an inker or letterer, saying that "it would be equivalent to a golfer hiring a man to make his putts for him." In November 1999 Schulz suffered a stroke, and later it was discovered that he had colon cancer that had metastasized. Because of the chemotherapy and the fact he could not read or see clearly, he announced his retirement on December 14, 1999.
Schulz often touched on religious themes in his work, including the classic television cartoon, A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965), which features the character Linus van Pelt quoting the King James Version of the Bible Luke 2:8-14 to explain "what Christmas is all about." In personal interviews Schulz mentioned that Linus represented his spiritual side. Schulz, reared in the Lutheran faith, had been active in the Church of God as a young adult and then later taught Sunday school at a United Methodist Church. In the 1960s, Robert L. Short interpreted certain themes and conversations in Peanuts as being consistent with parts of Christian theology, and used them as illustrations during his lectures about the gospel, as he explained in his bestselling paperback book, The Gospel According to Peanuts, the first of several books he wrote on religion and Peanuts, and other popular culture items. From the late 1980s, however, Schulz described himself in interviews as a "secular humanist": “I do not go to church anymore... I guess you might say I've come around to secular humanism, an obligation I believe all humans have to others and the world we live in.”
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
December 26, 2022
Did you watch the Charlie Brown Christmas special this year? That special began airing the year I was born. Each year I watch, the message comes through loud and clear. Linus is my hero! This book has a section with December Peanuts strips from five decades. They are timeless and resonate today in much the same way as when Schulz put pen to paper. Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!
December 20, 2018
How can you not give the Peanuts gang 5 stars. A book of good cheer.
Happy Holidays to all my friends and followers.
Happy Holidays to all my friends and followers.
December 23, 2025
THE JOY OF A PEANUTS CHRISTMAS was a bit of nostalgia for me. This book is dedicated to 50 years of the holiday comics. But it is more than that. It seems that the Peanuts gang and Hallmark have shared many years together. In 1960 Charles Schulz, the creator of the comic strip, agreed to create four greeting cards for the company. Since then they had teamed up to make over a hundred different products. It was a gold mine for Hallmark as Peanuts became the longest running and most popular comics of all time. It was published in 21 languages, in more than 2,600 newspapers, dozens of books, over 50 TV specials, and a Broadway musical.
The book is full of holiday theme cartoons from over the years. They span from the 1950's to the 1990's. Sadly, Charles passed away in 2000, only hours before his last Peanuts cartoon was to be published.
Some of the cartoons might seem a little lame, but one must consider the innocence in which they were written and for the readership they targeted. Clean holiday fun. Here are examples of two of my favorites.
Charlie Brown's little sister Sally is writing a letter to Santa. She can't remember his name, so she asks her big brother. "What was his name again?
"He asks for clarification. "Who?"
She replies, "The fat guy with the white beard and the red suit."
He says, "Why are you writing to my substitute math teacher?"
In another strip Charlie Brown is giving a present to his dog Snoopy. It is from Snoopy's little bird friend, Woodstock. Snoopy is excited and opens the gift to find that it is birdseed. He thinks to himself, "What am I going to do with a package of birdseed? Why give somebody something they can't use?" In the final cartoon panel Woodstock has received a dog bone from Snoopy as a gift. How many times has that happened to us?
Before closing this review, I wanted to add a couple of things I found interesting, being a Peanuts fan. For one thing, Schulz originally started his strip with the characters as babies and named it "L'il Folks" but had to change it to "Peanuts" for copyright issues. He based his main character on a friend from college named Charlie Brown. For those of you who followed the comics over the years you know that Charlie Brown was infatuated with the 'little red haired girl.' It seems that a real redhead girl once broke Schulz's heart.
The book is full of holiday theme cartoons from over the years. They span from the 1950's to the 1990's. Sadly, Charles passed away in 2000, only hours before his last Peanuts cartoon was to be published.
Some of the cartoons might seem a little lame, but one must consider the innocence in which they were written and for the readership they targeted. Clean holiday fun. Here are examples of two of my favorites.
Charlie Brown's little sister Sally is writing a letter to Santa. She can't remember his name, so she asks her big brother. "What was his name again?
"He asks for clarification. "Who?"
She replies, "The fat guy with the white beard and the red suit."
He says, "Why are you writing to my substitute math teacher?"
In another strip Charlie Brown is giving a present to his dog Snoopy. It is from Snoopy's little bird friend, Woodstock. Snoopy is excited and opens the gift to find that it is birdseed. He thinks to himself, "What am I going to do with a package of birdseed? Why give somebody something they can't use?" In the final cartoon panel Woodstock has received a dog bone from Snoopy as a gift. How many times has that happened to us?
Before closing this review, I wanted to add a couple of things I found interesting, being a Peanuts fan. For one thing, Schulz originally started his strip with the characters as babies and named it "L'il Folks" but had to change it to "Peanuts" for copyright issues. He based his main character on a friend from college named Charlie Brown. For those of you who followed the comics over the years you know that Charlie Brown was infatuated with the 'little red haired girl.' It seems that a real redhead girl once broke Schulz's heart.
December 24, 2012
This little book is a great collection of Christmas-themed Peanuts comics from the 1950s-1990s. There isn't a lot of text other than a few pages with descriptions of different characters. Mostly it's just a comic per page and a quick, enjoyable read.
If you love Peanuts, it's a must-read.
(And is it just me, or were the '50s characters even cuter than the more recent ones?)
If you love Peanuts, it's a must-read.
(And is it just me, or were the '50s characters even cuter than the more recent ones?)
December 22, 2021
This book had been sitting with our Christmas books for a few years and I finally picked it up and read it. It was fun. This collections features Peanuts Christmas comic strips from 1950's to the 1990's. The simple pleasures, ideas, joys and wishes made me smile several times.
December 11, 2017
Super cute! I never tire of reading the "Peanuts" comic strips!
October 25, 2020
Made me smile, made me laugh, and I enjoyed seeing the progression of the strip over the years. This was a great book to read in October to look forward to Christmas!
December 24, 2012
A lovely collection of Christmas-themed comic strips from over the years.
January 12, 2025
I found a copy of this book at a local consignment shop, and since I collect Peanuts memorabilia and books, I brought it home. I read through the entire thing this afternoon and I absolutely loved the level of nostalgia it brought back for me. The book is just a collection of Christmas-themed original comic strips, and I actually remembered seeing many of the ones from the 80s and 90s when I was a child and would read them in the newspaper or my friend's massive collection of books I would borrow. I also really enjoyed the little writeups about several of the characters that were scattered throughout the book and thought this was a great collector's item.
December 12, 2025
Fantastic book! This book brings you from the 50s to the 90s of the Peanuts holiday comic strips. It is such a nice, cozy and nostalgic read for this time of year. I enjoyed it very much! ✨️🎄
August 7, 2022
Debo decir que solamente conocía Peanuts por los dibujos animados, y obviamente reconocería a Snoopy en cualquier lugar, pero jamás había leído las historietas.
Está colección reúne todos los eventos alusivos a la navidad, me ha gustado mucho y ahora entiendo porque el trabajo de Charles Schulz nunca pasa de moda.
Tiene un nivel de inglés muy fácil de leer, es ideal para chicos y grandes y sin duda Peanuts es una lectura obligatoria para todos los fans de los cómics.
Está colección reúne todos los eventos alusivos a la navidad, me ha gustado mucho y ahora entiendo porque el trabajo de Charles Schulz nunca pasa de moda.
Tiene un nivel de inglés muy fácil de leer, es ideal para chicos y grandes y sin duda Peanuts es una lectura obligatoria para todos los fans de los cómics.
January 11, 2016
A great collection of Christmas comic strips!
To read my full review, click here.
To read my full review, click here.
December 16, 2012
This brought back wonderful childhood memories of reading the comic strips every Sunday. Merry Christmas Charlie Brown. :)
December 9, 2016
One of my favorite Christmas books that I read every year
January 18, 2018
How can a book revolving around a Peanuts Christmas be given anything but 5 stars? Enough said. Grab a cup of hot chocolate, a quilt, a comfy couch, and just enjoy the wisdom of the Peanuts gang.
December 6, 2021
The book “The Joy of a Peanuts Christmas: 50 Years of Holiday Comics!” by Charles M. Schulz, Don Hall, is a children’s picture book. This book is intended for ages 4 through 8. I do not see any awards for this book. This small book is a great collection of funny and joyful classic comic strips. The “PEANUTS” gang celebrate the holiday season with their family and friends around the tree. I rated this book 3 stars because I personally do not read comic strips as much, which is why I wanted to try it this semester, but I still prefer other formats. I think it is an enjoyable book for children around the holidays, as it gets them excited for this time of the year. It can definitely make children laugh and smile reading through the comic strips. I also like the various Christmas colors used and all the illustrated decorations to make it feel more Christmas themed. We also get a good sense of these characters personality throughout the comic strips from their quotes. It also includes the comic strips over the years, which is really interesting to see all the different kinds over the years. It is a great Christmas read.
December 26, 2017
The Peanuts comics are great in this, but I don’t really love the layout that Hallmark created. There’s some various colored and patterned backgrounds that are sort of distracting, and I don’t really need an introduction to each of the characters - don’t we know who they are by now? I like having a collection of Christmas comics over the years though. I also would have preferred another comic artist doing the introduction to this book, or maybe a member of the Schulz family or no intro at all. The comics are stellar but I would have preferred a different way of presenting the material.
December 9, 2023
I decided to ask my granddaughter to review 'Joy of Christmas' and this is what she said for her review... I liked the children and they were excited because it was Christmas. Before they went home the teacher told them a story about Jesus being born in Bethlehem. The beginning was different because I didn't know about the snake and people not being nice to God. I liked the pictures showing the shepherds, all the angels and baby Jesus in a manger. the book was easy to read, with loads of pictures and there was lots of colours and we talked about the book I enjoyed it.
January 7, 2024
This book contains a collection of Christmas-themed cartoons in both black-and-white and in color from the Peanuts comic strips published during the 1950s to the 1990s.
The comic strips are arranged in chronological order by decade but not by actual date. The original publication date is given beneath each comic strip. The cartoons are grouped by decade with the astute character summaries interspersed among the comic strips.
The 1965 animated television special A Charlie Brown Christmas is a important part of our family Christmas celebration, just as It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is an integral part of our family Halloween celebration, so I enjoyed reading the original Peanuts Christmas comic strips.
The comic strips are arranged in chronological order by decade but not by actual date. The original publication date is given beneath each comic strip. The cartoons are grouped by decade with the astute character summaries interspersed among the comic strips.
The 1965 animated television special A Charlie Brown Christmas is a important part of our family Christmas celebration, just as It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is an integral part of our family Halloween celebration, so I enjoyed reading the original Peanuts Christmas comic strips.
September 8, 2024
I thrifted this cute little collection and it’s been sitting around our house for months so I finally read it. This is my first time actually reading Peanuts comics so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The comics are cute and definitely made me smile. They’re not like, hysterically funny. There’s a wry humor to some of them or they’re observational. You can see the roots of the beloved Christmas TV special here… but the special is better. Overall, a good collection to have out on your coffee table or something during the holiday season.
December 14, 2025
12/12/25 - 12/13/25
The Joy of Peanuts Christmas 50 years of Holiday Comics! By Charles M Schulz
A delightful book by Hallmark of the collection of Peanuts creator Charles M Schulz Christmas Holiday strips from the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s. Plus a write-up on the history of Charles and how his career started and a brief biography after his passing. Everyone loves Peanuts -Charlie Brown, his sister Sally, Snoopy his dog, and the gang and friends. It brings humor, in an otherwise dreary world.
The Joy of Peanuts Christmas 50 years of Holiday Comics! By Charles M Schulz
A delightful book by Hallmark of the collection of Peanuts creator Charles M Schulz Christmas Holiday strips from the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s. Plus a write-up on the history of Charles and how his career started and a brief biography after his passing. Everyone loves Peanuts -Charlie Brown, his sister Sally, Snoopy his dog, and the gang and friends. It brings humor, in an otherwise dreary world.
January 4, 2025
I am not sure how valuable this book is, but I think it should be considered a treasured item in my personal library. It appears to be published just after Charles Schulz's death in 2000 at the age of 77. I like how the book highlights some of the beloved characters throughout as it goes in chronological order starting with the 50s selecting several cartoon strips from each of 5 decades. Who cannot smile as you thumb through the pages of history of the famous Peanuts comics.
December 1, 2018
Who doesn't love Charlie Brown at Christmas? From the first snowfall through the January letdown, these comics will bring out the season. Organized by decade it's not only a journey through a Peanuts Christmas but also serves as a brief history of the Peanuts gang. Delightful to read in one sitting or dip into.
December 5, 2018
This is a collection of Christmas theme Peanuts strips in the span of 5 decades from the 50's to the 90's. In the book, there are introductions of the characters in the comic and their memorable quotes. I love that bit because it's some kind of confirmation of their personalities, something that we already know all along.
July 2, 2025
What a great read. Peanuts holiday comics from the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and some notes about characters and Mr. Schulz himself. Hallmark put together a collection of holiday comics to commemorate their association with my favorite cartoonist. I really needed the distraction today; this was the perfect read.
December 23, 2025
Got this at a library sale. I love Snoopy and use love watching the Christmas special with my gma this time of year.
This has the comics from the 50s to 1990s of Charles' Peanuts comics and gives some info on the characters from Charlie to Snoopy and his brother Spike.
Snoopy and Woodstock always been my favorite. This is really good for family and all ages.
This has the comics from the 50s to 1990s of Charles' Peanuts comics and gives some info on the characters from Charlie to Snoopy and his brother Spike.
Snoopy and Woodstock always been my favorite. This is really good for family and all ages.
December 31, 2018
The comics are magical, and it is fun to see the 1964 strips that provided the basis for "A Charlie Brown Christmas." Pages with descriptions of the characters' personalities are pleasant, but unnecessary. The introduction makes it clear that this book is a promotion for a greeting card company.
January 12, 2019
I've always enjoyed Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang. I enjoyed reading about how Schultz and Hallmark joined forces and promoted Peanuts. Many great Christmas cartoon strips in this book as well as character descriptions!
July 15, 2017
I've been a life-long Peanuts fan, so to add any Peanuts book to the collection is a good thing.
I could have done without the two (2) Hallmark employee testimonials, however . . .
I could have done without the two (2) Hallmark employee testimonials, however . . .
August 30, 2017
This was sweet
Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews