Every once in a while, it’s good to set aside the serious tablescapes — the layered china, the pedigreed makers, the agonized-over colour palettes — and simply embrace joy. Pure, unfiltered, Snoopy-style joy.

As a lifelong Peanuts fan (and a bona fide Boomer), I vividly remember poring over the TV listings for the one and only annual broadcast of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Miss it, and that was it until next year. The same fate befell It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. You scheduled your life around those showings — and the anticipation made them all the sweeter.

Who can forget skating Snoopy winding up the gang into a game of crack the whip?

Perhaps that’s why the Peanuts gang still sparks such happiness. Their world is simple, colourful, earnest, and gently funny. When December rolls around, I lean into that cheer — and this year, it made its way straight onto the table.

Let the Peanuts Take Over the Table

This whimsical Christmas table began with a couple of sets of Peanuts plates (eBay), each featuring a different character in mid-holiday moment. Snoopy skating, Woodstock bundled in a tiny hat, Linus sledding downhill, Charlie Brown clutching a present.

To ground all that personality, I used red striped Humbolt luncheon-sized plates (Pier 1, discontinued) layered over solid red dinner plates (Cambria Red, Pottery Barn, discontinued). They echo the comic-strip palette without competing with the illustrations. A classic red-and-green tartan runner provided a suitably festive backdrop.

Green glassware (Magnolia Home Hearth and Hand, eBay) softened the palette and added a nostalgic mid-century touch — the sort of glass you might imagine on the table in the background of a Schulz panel.

White napkins trimmed in red thread and dog-paw napkin rings brought the whole scene together. No fuss, just fun.

Snoopy Steals the Show (Naturally)

Snoopy, of course, takes centre stage. In this case, quite literally — perched atop a stack of Peanuts-wrapped “presents,” Snoopy appeared twice:

On in his sleigh, with a very committed Woodstock doing his best reindeer impression.

Lounging atop his iconic red doghouse, festooned in colourful Christmas lights.

Both pieces are unabashedly cheerful (and verge on tacky, but who cares?). They add just the right amount of three-dimensional whimsy. Used sparingly, sculptural ceramics like these become storytelling anchors without overwhelming the table.

A Charlie Brown Tree, Of Course

No Peanuts table would be complete without the iconic Charlie Brown Christmas tree — a spindly branch, a single red ornament, and more heart than botanical integrity. Ours came with an extra layer of amusement: I purloined it from my daughter Lauren’s house.

The tree is her sole nod to Christmas décor in her own home. Lauren adores the season — she throws herself into choosing gifts for her nieces and for her boyfriend’s three children (conveniently the same ages as our gang). She fills a wooden advent calendar for me each year, one she purchased secretly at Fortnum & Mason on a family trip, and then lugged home from London in a purpose-bought suitcase.

She has holiday spirit in abundance. But decorate? Beyond the Charlie Brown tree? Absolutely not.

I find it endlessly amusing that this forlorn little twig — the humblest of all Christmas decorations — is the one she chooses. Somehow, it suits her perfectly: understated, ironic, neither earnest nor overdone. And so, naturally, I borrowed it for the table.

It looked right at home amid the Peanuts gang.

Plates Full of Personality

One of the joys of this table was watching the family choose their plates. Everyone has a favourite Peanuts character, and everyone thinks they know which character belongs to whom — only to be proven wrong when someone unexpectedly claims Linus or insists on having the Woodstock plate.

A few personal favourites:

Snoopy on his doghouse, belly up and relaxed.

Linus on his runaway sled, looking entirely unbothered.

Charlie Brown hugging his present, the very picture of hopefulness.

Snoopy and Woodstock examing the pile of presents and peppermints around the doghouse.

Each plate brings its own tiny burst of nostalgia.

Evening Magic

As the sun set (seemingly at noon these days… sigh), the window wreath glowed brightly behind the table, creating that lovely holiday ambience — soft lights, reflections in the glass, and Snoopy exuberantly sailing through the air. In the evening, the Peanuts table feels even more magical, as though the characters have come to life for just a moment.

Because Christmas Should Feel Fun

In a season often filled with earnestness and elegance (which have their place!), there’s something wonderfully refreshing about leaning into the playful joy of childhood. A Peanuts Christmas table isn’t meant to be taken seriously — and that’s the point.

It’s a reminder that simple joys, often nostalgic, are nourishing and flourishing. Humour and joy belongs at the table as much as anywhere.

Watching guests light up when they sit down to a plate featuring their favourite Peanuts character might be the best hosting moment of the season.