As fans settle into Halloween season to watch Peanuts specials, one line from 1965’s It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown continues to stand as an all-time classic: “Tonight the Great Pumpkin will rise out of the pumpkin patch. He flies through the air and brings toys to all the children of the world.”
The beloved Halloween special follows the Peanuts gang during the holiday, focusing especially on Linus van Pelt. While most of the kids go trick-or-treating, Linus sits in a nearby pumpkin patch, awaiting a Santa Claus-like figure called the Great Pumpkin. According to Linus, “Each year, the Great Pumpkin rises out of the pumpkin patch that he thinks is the most sincere.” Convinced his own patch holds the most sincerity, he waits patiently all night while his friends fritter Halloween away on candy.
The special was the first-ever Halloween TV special. The holiday only really took off after World War II, which is why the Peanuts kids say “tricks or treats” rather than “trick or treat”—a popular variant of the phrase before “trick or treat” became standardized.
Tonight the Great Pumpkin will rise out of the pumpkin patch. He flies through the air and brings toys to all the children of the world.
Linus van Pelt, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
The article notes that while “tricks or treats” is a historical quirk rather than an iconic line, other candidates exist. The running gag in which Charlie Brown receives rocks instead of candy—while his friends all get candy—is cited as one such memorable moment reflecting the character’s bad luck.
Still, the writer argues that the best quote must come from Linus, whose faith in the Great Pumpkin is what made the special iconic. The line quoted above captures his unwavering optimism and sincerity more than any of the special’s funnier moments.
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is streaming on Apple TV.
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