For most, autumn is the season of the leaves changing colors, picking out clever Halloween costumes, and adding new sweaters to their wardrobe. For avid “Peanuts” comic strip fans, fall is the season of “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.” 

The Mossey Library hosted a discussion titled “The Enduring Appeal of Peanuts” on Oct. 26 in the Heritage Room. All in attendance agreed that this was the very season for Charlie Brown holiday specials as they sat around the table heaped with compilations of the beloved comic strip. 

“There is something about Schultz being able to capture the essence of childhood and then make it relatable both to children and adults that I think is really interesting,” Mossey public services librarian Brenna Wade said. “‘Peanuts’ was in syndication for 50 years, and it’s been over 20 years since it stopped syndication, but we are still talking about it. We’re still interested in ‘Peanuts.’ We’re still watching the shows.”

The group began the lecture by reminiscing on their favorite “Peanuts” characters and side plots.

Schroeder, Lucy, Charlie Brown, and Snoopy all had loyal fans, but secondary characters like Linus garnered the most praise for his philosophical, religious tangents and quippy one-liners. 

“I do like Linus and his blanket,” Wade said “That blanket is all-purpose; it’s actually kind of similar to ‘Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.’ Always bring your towel. Linus was ahead of his time.”

The group also paid homage to infamous duos like Charlie Brown and the kite-eating tree, Peppermint Patty and Marcy, Frieda and her limp cat, and Snoopy and the Red Baron. 

“I like Snoopy because he’s philosophical, he’s sarcastic, he has a runaway imagination, and yet, at the same time, he’s a dog,” freshman Olivia Finch said. 

Everyone had pieces of “Peanuts” trivia to share. From Finch’s knowledge on the history of the “Peanuts’” parents to freshman Catherine Graham’s knowledge on the origins of the famous comic’s name being based on the phrase “the peanut gallery.”

Library Director Maurine McCourry got her theory about Woodstock’s name confirmed as well. 

“Did Woodstock appear after the Woodstock Festival?” McCourry said. “Was he named for the hippie scene? Because that would have been 20 years into this. I always assumed he was there to represent that part of the counterculture.” 

Other adaptations of the “Peanuts” characters in TV holiday specials, movies, musicals, and even amusement park themes all garnered praise from the table. The clear favorite was “A Charlie Brown Christmas” for its classic jazz music, iconic individual “Peanuts” characters dancing scene, and the joy of the underdog triumph displayed by the celebration of Charlie Brown’s pitiful Christmas tree.

“I feel like the whole strip was just really full of hope,” Graham said. “That’s probably why people love it so much, but it’s very apparent in the Christmas special.” 

Wade said this was the best turnout they had had for a book discussion since the “Ender’s Game” discussion several years ago, speaking to the enduring appeal of the “Peanuts” characters years after no longer appearing in the funny pages. 

“It really captured the essence of childhood, but it carried through a lot of upheavals in the culture,” Graham said. “It didn’t focus on it though, It just focused on the part of childhood and daily life that will never go away. I think there’s a lot of beauty to just the simplicity in all the things that are represented by all of those ‘Peanuts’ characters.”