Snoopy and His Rival Bury the Hatchet for Christmas

When it comes to cartoon characters, no group of two-dimensional pals holds a dearer place in my heart than Winnie-the-Pooh and his fellow Hundred Acre Woodlanders. But the Peanuts gang comes close. This time of year, I'm especially fond of Snoopy and the gang as I put out Hallmark decorations and plush Snoopys and Woodstocks in Santa hats, watch A Charlie Brown Christmas and go to work sporting a wide variety of festive shirts featuring the Browns, the Van Pelts and all their friends. It's certainly no surprise that I would embrace Schulz-inspired Christmas music; the only surprise is that it took me so long to discover Snoopy's Christmas, a heartening ballad by the Royal Guardsmen, who seem to have developed a bit of a corner on the Snoopy music market.

Snoopy's Christmas is not the first of their songs to draw upon the daydreaming beagle's fabled rivalry with the "bloody" Red Baron, a ruthless World War I-era German aviator. He breaks out of character in this peppy narrative, which seems to be a throwback to the remarkable Christmas Truce of 1914, in which German and British troops celebrated the holiday together, singing carols, giving gifts and playing games with their previous and future enemies. It's so strange to think that those soldiers could continue to kill one another after sharing such an experience; sometimes, I suppose, one must settle for a temporary miracle...

The feud between Snoopy and the Red Baron doesn't end with this song. But there is most definitely an aura of respect about their relationship now that they have taken a moment to toast one another, refusing to destroy each other on such a holy night. The chorus doesn't mention either of the main characters. Rather, it focuses on the Christmas bells ringing throughout the land, encouraging peace and goodwill. These bells seem to serve as the inspiration for the Red Baron's surprising gesture of friendship and Snoopy's acceptance, though their reaction may be subconscious.

I love the gusto-filled vocals and the instrumentals, which are strewn with sound effects. The bells, of course, have a starring role, and there's some fantastic percussion and several instances of zooming aircraft. The bounciness of the bulk of the song is enhanced by the somber opening, which features a chorus singing O Tanenbaum as bombs explode in the background. I suppose this is generally classified as a novelty song, but its message of peace and forgiveness puts it right up there with altruistic favorites like Happy XMas and Someday at Christmas.

It's hard to go wrong with Snoopy. The Royal Guardsmen realized that, and I salute them for it. Merry Christmas to all, from musicians to flying aces. May the goodwill that strikes the heart with the pealing of those bells remain throughout the year.