Ornament Review: Four Calling Birds - Twelve Days of Christmas #4 - 2014 Hallmark Ornament

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Beautiful ornament with some unusual colors

Cons: The wings look more vulnerable than normal.

The Bottom Line:

Another winner

In this beautiful series

Bold works well again

And Just What Is a Calling Bird, Anyway?

A friend made an interesting point as we were waiting to see just what Hallmark artist Edythe Kegrize would do for the fourth entry in the Twelve Days of Christmas ornament series.  There is no such thing as a calling bird.  After a lifetime singing the song at Christmas, I was startled to realize she was right.  Oh, there are theories about what it meant in the old days, but really, we don't know for sure what this verse means.  As a result, Four Calling Birds might be a bit more fanciful than the others in the series, but that doesn't make it any less beautiful.

Just how fanciful?  Well, the bird is done in blues and purples if that gives you any idea.  The bird has a pretty dark purple head and a blue body and tail with a light blue over light purple wings.  The bird is wearing an acorn top on its head and the dangle element is a light green acorn as well.  There is a fuzzy light blue piece of cloth tied around the bird's neck.  As usual, the wings have lyrics from the verse printed on them with music on the back wing.

Now I will admit that purple and blue isn't the first color I think of when I think of a bird of any kind.  And yet, this ornament is just as beautiful as the others in the series.  It's really hard to describe the ornament in any other way.  The choices may be bold and outside the box, but they work so well together that I can't wait to get this one on my tree.  Being dark, it might blend into the tree a bit more than some of the others in the series, but that's my only complaint with how it looks.

I so worry a bit about the wings on the bird.  The previous entries in the series have all had wings that just stuck out a tiny bit from the body.  This time around, they stick down from the body and most of the ones I've looked at already curve a little.  I'm very worried about the wings breaking, mostly likely when I wrap it up to store it, but even if it were to drop, that might break them.  (I really wish Hallmark would include the plastic storage they used to use for this series to protect the wings.)

Since this is a bird and there is the acorn dangling down from the ornament, there is no way to stand this ornament up for display.  You have to hang it.  The good news there is that the ornament appears to hang straight to me, although it's a bird.  If it didn't, would you really be able to notice.

Since this is the fourth in an official series, you'll find a 4 in a Christmas tree somewhere on the ornament.  It's pretty much where I expected it to be, although I will let you hunt for it if you are so included.

Real of not, Four Calling Birds is a beautiful addition to what is my favorite Hallmark series.  I'm not sure what Edythe will do for next year's rings, but I've no doubt I will love it as much as I do this ornament.

Of course, you'll need to get all of the 12 Days of Christmas series.

Original Price: $12.95