Claire is nuts about the music to A Charlie Brown Christmas. Really, just crazy about it.

It is now late February, and we have been listening to the Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack in the car to and from school every day since last December. Claire’s favorite song is Hark the Herald Angels Sing. I know this is her favorite because she asks me to play it every time we get in the car. I also know this is her favorite song because today as it was playing she told me, “This is my favorite song I have ever heard. I really mean it’s my favorite ever!” Claire knows all the words to this song and sometimes sings along, although the words are a little off. Claire sings “Easkon Earth and mercy mile” instead of “Peace on Earth and mercy mild.

I have to admit, this is one of my favorite songs too. It comes at the final scene of the Peanuts Christmas special, where it sets a beautiful, peaceful, and well Christmassy tone.

Claire likes the other songs on the CD as well and likes to discuss the music. She notated that Hark the Herald Angels Sing has singing but no instruments, while most of the other songs have instruments but no singing. She observed that the drums in Christmastime Is Here sound like someone walking in the snow. Her second favorite song is O Tannenbaum, which she says starts out sad but then gets happy. Claire also noted that, on the version of the CD that I made, Hark the Herald Angels Sing comes first, while in the show, it comes last.

Back in December, Claire asked me to burn a copy of the CD for her class at school. Apparently it was a hit with everyone. They even played it into February, although the teacher apparently skips Hark the Herald Angels Sing because, “It’s waaaay past Christmas.”