  linus van pelt is a character in charles m. schulz's comic strip peanuts. the best friend of charlie brown, linus is also the younger brother of lucy van pelt and older brother of rerun van pelt. he first appeared on september 19, 1952, but was not mentioned by name until three days later. he was first referenced two months earlier, on july 14. linus spoke his first words in 1954, the same year he was shown with his security blanket. ==personality== though young, linus is unusually smart, and acts as the strip's philosopher and theologian, often quoting the gospels. juvenile aspects of his character are also displayed; for example, linus is almost always depicted holding his blue security blanketâfor which he is often mocked by other charactersâand often sucks his thumb. he invented his own legendary being, the great pumpkin, who, linus claims, appears every halloween at the most "sincere" pumpkin patch, bearing gifts. linus is the only person who believes in the great pumpkin, although he occasionally temporarily convinces other characters the great pumpkin is real, only to stubbornly maintain his faith when they lose theirs. on one occasion, linus had a commanding lead in the polls for school presidentâuntil he brought up the subject of the great pumpkin, at which point he was nearly 
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