It’s The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown – Fact or Fiction?

As a kid, this was my favorite Charlie Brown movie of all time.  If you are at least as old as I am sure you have also seen “It’s The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown”, or at least heard of it. But does such a thing actually exist? The only one rumored to have seen him has no corroborating witness to validate the claim.

We need to resolve this once and for all. The story started with Charles Schultz and a little boy named Linus. Now, all kids want to know “Who is the Great Pumpkin?”

According to Shultz’s story, the Great Pumpkin goes to all of the pumpkin patches around the world. The one who has the best pumkin patch, in the Great Pumpkin’s opinion, will be the only one to see him. Candy and treats are left for those who have at least made the effort.

OK, I know when I was growing up, I was not the one who grew the pumpkins in our garden.  I helped my grandfather plant the seeds, but ultimately it was him and my dad who took care of the plants.  So why is it that children seem to get all the fun?

The Great Pumpkin was thought up by Peanuts creator Charles Schultz. Linus tries to convince Charlie Brown and the rest of the group that they should wait in a dark and creepy pumpkin patch instead of going door to door for their treats.

As one would expect everyone except Sally, Charlie Brown’s siter, ignores Linus.   As I am sure you might remember, Sally was so in love with Linus that she would do just about anything for him.  She doesn’t get that this is just a bunch of pumpkin poo, because she loves him so much.  Eventually, even Sally had had enough of sitting in a pumpkin patch while everyone else was out getting loads of candy and they weren’t itchy from spending the night in a pumpkin patch either.  Conversely, I wonder if Sally’s parents had any idea where she was every Halloween night?  I don’t think I would approve of my daughter spending the night with a boy out in the pumpkin patch!

Many parents, to save themselves the horror of waking up to missing children because they have snuck off to sit in a pumpkin patch, have used the Great Pumpkin myth to create some traditions of their own.  Here is just one idea on how you can create your own Great Pumpkin traditions.

It is said that the modern day Great Pumkin rewards those children who are kind and giving in nature.  Kids who donate half of their candy booty to a good cause will get a visit from the Great Pumpkin.  He will collect the donated candy, and in its place he will leave a small gift or possibly even a bit of cash.  Besides, no one can possibly eat all that candy and they get something great in return for their generosity.

There are many other ways that you can have the Great Pumpkin manifest himself through the fall season.  Who knows where he may turn up.  I guess we’ll all learn whether or not Linus’ beliefs were well placed.