Ornament Review: Winter Fun with Snoopy #21 - Curling - 2018 Hallmark Ornament

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Great looking, patriotic (in US) feeling ornament

Cons: Noticeable tip toward Woodstock

The Bottom Line:

Curling on the ice

Snoopy, Woodstock having fun

Timely addition

This Year, Enjoy Some Curling Fun with Snoopy

Like many Americans (I suspect), I binge on the Olympics when they are on.  I don't care what the sport is, I will watch it.  I must admit, I still don't quite understand all the skill and strategy of curling, but it might help if I watched it more often than every four years.  Still, with this past winter being a Winter Olympics year, it is the perfect time to introduce curling to the Winter Fun with Snoopy ornament series.

Inspired by the Olympics this year, Snoopy has taken on curling.  He's getting ready to release the stone, and Woodstock is his team mate.  He's just ahead of the stone with the broom, ready to sweep it into place for the victory.  Snoopy is wearing a red and blue cap.  The stone is blue, and Woodstock's broom is red.  This definitely gives the ornament a United States patriotic theme, and just proves that this duo is training for the next Olympics in four years.

Curling is certainly one of the more obscure winter sports, so I can understand why they waited this long to make it part of the series.  But this was the perfect year to do so.  With the Olympics this year and the improbable finish of the men's US team in the sport, people's interest in it is at a high, at least for the next four years.  Of course, since the Olympics were in February and this ornament came out in July, interest would have died down some, but the timing is the best they will ever get.  Ironically enough, the color scheme makes it feel more American than international.  Since Hallmark has some stores in Canada and even releases some exclusive to that country, I would think another choice of colors would have been very popular there since curling is much more popular.  Either way, those of us who always buy this series will find it is a worthy addition to the series since it is cute like always, and fans of curling will buy it as well.

What I haven't mentioned yet is that this is one of Hallmark's miniature series, and the longest running one.  As a result, the ornament is only about an inch at its largest.  The detail they've packed into it is still fun, but do keep the size in mind when you buy it.

Snoopy and Woodstock are on ice, which translates to a nice, flat bottom.  You can set it out to be displayed, but I would warn you that it will be easily lost.  Remember the size.  If you look closely, you'll find the 21 in a Christmas tree series marker on the bottom of the ornaments.  (I told you it was their longest running mini series.)

The loop for hanging the ornament is on the top of Snoopy's hat.  Unfortunately, the loop isn't quite centered, so the ornament tips toward Woodstock’s end of things quite noticeably, but I don't know where else they could have put it.  If you are careful with how you place it, you might be able to disguise the tip with your tree branches.  Just hanging out there, it looks like they are curling downhill.

While curling might never catch on here in the states, it is wonderful to have it included in the Winter Fun with Snoopy series.  And the timing for this release really is the best they could hope for.

Check out the rest of the Winter Fun with Snoopy miniature series.

Original Price: $7.99