“O, Christmas Tree! O, Christmas Tree!
How lovely are thy branches?”

This time of year it is so easy to celebrate the splendor of a majestic, grandly decorated tree, be it the iconic Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree …

… this towering tree in the lobby of Disney’s Wilderness Lodge.

.. or lovely efforts such as these.

(left) Jackie Kennedy’s Nutcracker Suite Themed Christmas Tree in the Blue Room of the White House. (right) Christmas Tree in Los Angeles, California

Yes, it’s easy to celebrate such examples of arboreal splendor. But today we want to tip our hat — or winter’s cap — to Christmas trees far less glittery but no less glorious.

It was 50 years ago this week that America got its first glimpse of Charlie Brown’s sad and droopy, needle-shedding excuse of a Christmas tree with the premiere of A Charlie Brown Christmas.

(YouTube/ABC)

That tree of his is not so unique. Space, circumstance and sometimes just quirky style often find us putting up trees that would have even ol’ Charlie cackling like Snoopy and mocking like Lucy.

Will our “Charlie Brown trees” make the cover of Better Homes and Gardens? No. Will they appear in an HGTV holiday decorating special? Never. Do we joke that even recycling is too good a fate for them? Sure. But do we love them any less? Hardly. In fact, we may even love them more for their faults and uniqueness. 

Ask yourself: Do the words of the carol apply any less to trees such as these?

O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
How richly God has decked thee!
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
How richly God has decked thee!
Thou bidst us true and faithful be,
And trust in God unchangingly.
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
How richly God has decked thee!”

“Finding great richness in something so humble — crazy!” the modern world says. Yeah, a bit like finding a King born in a stable.

On this 50th anniversary of A Charlie Brown Christmas we’ll let Linus have the last word.

Thanks to Shannon Henderson for putting together the images.