Summary
Halofans have the opportunity to give their holiday decorations a little Spartan flair this year with Hallmark’s newly announced Master Chief ornament. TheHaloornament is included in Hallmark’s 2024 Keepsake Ornament Collection and will be available in stores or for delivery starting on October 21.
Best known for its greeting cards, Hallmark began producing holiday ornaments in 1973, starting out mostly with bulbs and yard dolls. By its third year, the ornament collection included its first trademarked character, Raggedy Ann. While the addition of trademarked crossover ornaments really increased starting in the early ’90s, it took until 2008 for the first true video game-themed ornament from Hallmark, with the introduction of aretroPac-Manarcade cabinet.
The 2024 collection represents gaming much better, with a total of 36 different pieces that all got their start in the video game industry. The newHalo-themed ornament shows Master Chief standing tall in classic green Spartan armor and holding a recognizableHaloassault rifleat the ready. Made of hard plastic, the ornament stands 4.5 inches in height, with its width and depth listed at 2.32 and 1.73 inches, respectively. It comes in its own 2024 Keepsake Ornament gift box for easy storage or wrapping for those wanting to share some Xbox-themed holiday magic with friends or family. Those wanting to pick up the ornament can order it onHallmark’s websitefor $18.99 or pick it up in select stores. Xbox fans can also snag a replica ornament of the original Xbox console with lights and sound for $22.99.
Hallmark Offering Other Gaming Themed Ornaments for the 2024 Holiday Season
Even for those who aren’t looking to add Master Chief to their tree, the 2024 Keepsake Ornament collection includes plenty of other popular characters and other gaming-themed ornaments to choose from. The collection draws heavily fromNintendo’s top franchisesin particular, displaying 16 different ornaments based on theSuper Mario,The Legend of Zelda,Animal Crossing,Mario Kart, andPikmingames. ButPokemonfans get the lion’s share of this year’s gaming-based ornament haul, with decorations based on Pikachu, Blastoise, Magikarp, and Charizard, as well as a collection of six miniature ornaments designed to look like different Poke Balls.
The rest of the collection’s 2024 video game-based offerings give some representation toMinecraft,Fortnite,Sonic the Hedgehog, andKingdom Hearts, as well as light-up replicas of Sega Genesis, NES, and SNES consoles. Of that grouping,Minecrafthas the biggest selection, with six ornaments that include an Ender Dragon, a Piglin coming out of aNether Portal, and a Drowned with a pumpkin head.
Halo
Halo is a science fiction first person shooter and part of Microsoft’s Xbox Game Studios. The franchise development originated with Bungie, but has since transferred to 343 Industries. The series centers on a conflict between humanity and various alien species over installations called Halos, superweapons created by a mysterious race known as Forerunners. Launching in 2001 with Halo: Combat Evolved, the franchise has also spun off into books, comics, animated films, live action TV, and much more.
