I’m a big fan of Easter eggs.
Of course, I enjoy seeing the many colorful pysanky meticulously designed each year to signify the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
But there’s another kind of Easter egg. They’re unexpected messages or features hidden in movies and television shows. For example: Rapunzel from Disney’s “Tangled” showing up in a crowd scene in “Frozen,” hieroglyphics of C-3PO and R2-D2 in “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and Twin Pines Mall changing its name to Lone Pine Mall at the end of “Back to the Future.”
I recently discovered another hidden message in the classic “A Charlie Brown Christmas” which I can’t believe I never noticed before in my decades of watching it during the Christmas season.
Everyone knows this story of Charlie Brown, who is trying to discover the true meaning of Christmas and is drafted to direct the annual Christmas play. Lucy, Sally, Schroeder and Snoopy are more interested in dancing than rehearsing, so Charlie Brown and Linus brave the outside cold to buy a Christmas tree.
All the aluminum trees are overlooked in favor of a little tree, its needles falling off one by one. When his friends’ laughter finally subsides, Charlie Brown tries to find solace.
“I guess you were right, Linus. I shouldn’t have picked this little tree,” he says. “Everything I do turns into a disaster. I guess I don’t really know what Christmas is all about. Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?”
“Sure, Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about,” says Linus. Linus walks to the center of the stage and after requesting “Lights, please” begins to recite Luke 2:8-14 from the KingmJames version of the Bible:
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore
afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men. If you’re watching this scene at home, did you catch it? At the moment Linus says the words “Fear not,” he drops his security blanket. The blanket he perpetually has clutched to his body.
In a stroke of genius by creator Charles Schulz, Linus drops his blanket to subtly illustrate the realization we no longer have anything to fear because of the birth of Christ.
Jesus is the only security blanket we need. That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown. I’ll end 2019 in this space as I have the past few years with the final lines of my favorite Christmas poem, “E.B. White’s Christmas.”
It was published in The New Yorker on Dec. 20, 1952 and is written by the author of beloved children’s books “Stuart Little” and “Charlotte’s Web.” Again, it’s worth a Google search to read the entire poem.
And last, we greet all skaters on small natural ponds at the edge of woods toward the end of afternoon. Merry Christmas, skaters! Ring, steel! Grow red, sky! Die down, wind! Merry Christmas to all and to all a good morrow!
Have a blessed Christmas and a healthy 2020!
