Ornament Review: Linus's Big Heart - Happiness is Peanuts All Year Long #7 - 2014 Hallmark Ornament

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Linus and chocolate – you’ll love this one

Cons: Another character might possibly have been better

The Bottom Line:

Chocolates for sweetheart

Linus buys traditional

Gift for current crush

And a Big Heart of Chocolates for Valentine’s Day

While chocolate seems to go with many holidays (really, most of them), I’d say the one it is associated with most readily is Valentine’s Day.  Hallmark certainly thought so since they incorporated it into Linus's Big Heart, the February entry in the Happiness is Peanuts All Year Long ornament series.

The ornament depicts Linus holding a big heart shaped box of chocolate.  He’s holding it in front of him and smiling really big.  We aren’t given a clue who the chocolates are for, and since he’s had crushes on many people over the years, we can only guess.  But it is nice to see him doing something special for his current crush.

Frankly, that is one reason why I wouldn’t have minded seeing Charlie Brown in this ornament.  With Charlie Brown, we know it’s the Little Red-Headed Girl.  (Well, there was Peggy Jean in some of the later strips, but to be it will always be the Little Red-Headed Girl.)  Of course, that would give Charlie Brown three entries in the series.  Maybe it should have been Sally buying chocolate for her Sweet Babboo (aka Linus).

That’s a minor complaint, however since the ornament does look nice.  This is Linus’ second and final appearance in the series (he’s also in October), and it’s very easy to tell it’s him.  The red chocolate box is big and covers most of his front.  It's got "Be Mine" written on a pink ribbon on the front as well.

The backdrop for this particular month features a store, which is how we know Linus is buying the box of chocolates.  We can see a couple of counters behind him, but no other person.  These counters are selling such things as cards, flowers, and perfume.  (And check out the familiar wavy design on one of the vases.)  The walls of this store are pink, which seems a bit odd but does fit the month quite nicely.

Linus is standing on a piece of the store’s floor (and the pattern even matches), which is nice since it gives him a good base if you want to stand him up to display him.  I seem to actually have a choice this month since the ring on the top of Linus's head is turned such that I can hang him on my stand.  If you do hang him, he tips forward slightly, but you have to be looking at the floor to tell.  When he's standing, he actually looks like he's leaning back, so either way he's slightly off.  And if you are looking for the series marker, the 7 in a Christmas tree is on the bottom of the base.

All my complaints above are just quibbles.  Linus's Big Heart is a great Valentine’s addition to the year long Peanut’s series, and I will enjoy him for quite some time to come.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Happiness is Peanuts All Year Long series.

Original Price: $12.95