It's the Great Pumpkin

By Rorey Padfoot

I'm hoping most of you have heard or even seen this beloved television special, as I grew up watching it every year and still watch it to this day. I can pretty much say the entire program word for word, and it never gets old for me.

"It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" is a Halloween cartoon special usually shown on or around Halloween on any given channel. It first was broadcasted on October 27, 1966, and has been shown on TV annually ever since. To my knowledge this is the longest running Halloween children's special out there, which can really put the longevity of Charlie Brown into perspective.

To give a short synopsis of the story, it's Halloween night, and the gang is getting ready for trick-or-treating and a Halloween party; all but one, that is. Linus is trying desperately to encourage anyone to stay with him in a pumpkin patch in hopes that the Great Pumpkin will visit it and bring lots of toys and goodies for those children who believe. While trick-or-treating the gang decides to visit Linus in the patch, and Sally offers to stay with him. Though after a bit, Linus and Sally get a false hope that the Great Pumpkin has actually come, but they find out that it was only Snoopy. Furious Sally leaves Linus there for the night. Linus refuses to give up believing in the Great Pumpkin and vows that next year will be different.

The show has come out on DVD within the past six years, so if it's not on a channel you normal receive or you've already missed its air time, I highly recommend renting it and watching it. I know for me, I watch it every year after the candy passing out has stopped.

Happy Halloween!