Holiday programming

In an onslaught of Christmas TV reruns, A Charlie Brown Christmas remains the best | Gene Edward Veith

'Tis the season for "holiday programming." Networks haul out reruns of Christmas specials made long, long ago. And for many viewers, watching these classics each and every year has become a staple of their Christmas observance.

Though these are definitely about Christmas—as opposed to Hannukah, Kwanzaa, or other celebrations the culture is attempting to lump together into a generic "holiday"—few of the TV Christmas classics have any references to the birth of Jesus Christ. What they provide are good clues to what secularists celebrate instead.

For many people, the true meaning of Christmas is nostalgia. They try to recreate their old Christmas memories, back when they were children. Cynics recall the relative innocence of their childhood, when they believed in wonders, ideals, and something beyond themselves, even if it was only Santa Claus. And they remember the family warmth and togetherness they experienced at Christmas. Adults, in turn, want to give their children the same happy Christmas memories.

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December 10, 2005, Vol. 20, No. 48

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