Animal Crossing: New Horizons has quite a few events throughout the year that allow players to celebrate real-life holidays with some unique in-game items. While a lot of events in Animal Crossing: New Horizons have specific items that go along with them, only some add new exclusive items to the stores for players to buy. These events can be a little more exciting than the others, as these items are a great way for players to customize their island for the holidays.

total waste of time like some Animal Crossing activities.

Nature Day Lost Its Interactive Element

An Update Took Away Nature Day Events

Nature Day is potentially the most disappointing event in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, mainly because it used to be a lot more fun. Originally, Nature Day was a 12-day event that allowed players to earn extra Nook Miles by completing nature-related tasks. For example, players could earn 200 Nook Miles by planting specific flowers like Lilies or Cosmos. However, since Animal Crossing: New Horizons version 1.9.0 in 2021, there is no longer an actual Nature Day event.

Now, the day is only marked by the cool globe which is available from Nook Shopping. While the name is appropriate (the globe is pretty cool), it’s still a shame that an event that featured fun gameplay missions was replaced by just putting a new item in the shop. A globe also doesn’t fit the “Nature Day” theme as much as a plant would.

Valentine’s Day Is Cute But Boring

There Aren’t Any New Activities On Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is somewhat of a polarizing holiday in real life, so that’s possibly why Animal Crossing: New Horizons decided not to make it that big of a deal. There are only small gameplay changes, the biggest one being letters that the player will receive from Isabelle and any villager with whom they have a high friendship level. These valentines come with a chocolate heart or heart-shaped bouquet. Brewster will also serve hot chocolate and have some holiday-specific dialogue.

The only exclusive items that get added to shops are the same chocolate heart and heart-shaped bouquet that players will receive anyway from their Valentine’s Day letters. While this does allow the player to send valentines of their own, it is pretty underwhelming that these are the only new items for the event. This, combined with the lack of things to do on the actual day, make Valentine’s Day one of Animal Crossing’s more underwhelming events.

Shamrock Day Offers Fun New Items, But Little Else

Shamrock Day Offers Outfits And Decorations But No Activities

Shamrock Day is Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ version of a St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Similar to the new version of Nature Day, there aren’t any activities that go along with Shamrock Day, but there is a nice variety of fun, festive items added to the shops that help make up for that. Shamrock Day items initially become available on March 10 in Nook Shopping, followed by some new clothes at Able Sisters that are available closer to the 17th.

The decorations from Nook Shopping players can buy include a shamrock doorplate that reads “fáilte!” which is Irish for welcome. There is also a shamrock rug and a green shamrock soda. They can then get a shamrock suit, hat, and shoes from Able Sisters which allow them to look like a Leprechaun. While not available in the shops, there is also a DIY recipe for a shamrock wand floating in some balloons during the event.

Setsubun Allows Players To Recreate A Japenese Tradition

Setsubun Gives Players Beans To Scatter And Oni Masks To Wear

Setsubun is a celebration in Japan that marks the end of winter on the traditional calendar. As part of the celebration, people throw roasted soybeans out of the front door as a symbolic way to ward off evil spirits. Alternatively, a member of the family may dress up in an oni mask and the family will throw beans at them to drive them away.

As a way of reflecting this tradition, Animal Crossing: New Horizons offers two batches of unique items for Sestsubun. The first is a bean-tossing kit which players can order from Nook Shopping near the tail end of January. Then, later on in the event (February 1–3), players can buy an ogre costume and okame mask from the Able Sisters. This allows anyone playing together to reenact the Setsuban bean-scattering ritual.

Players Can Help Cook On Turkey Day

The Turkey Day Event Involves Finding Ingredients For A Feast

Turkey Day is an Animal Crossing celebration that always falls on American Thanksgiving. Originally, Turkey Day was called the Harvest Festival, but this was changed in New Horizons. On Turkey Day, players can help a turkey chef named Franklin collect ingredients for his recipes. This can be done by catching fish, finding clams, or borrowing ingredients from other villagers. When players complete a recipe, Franklin rewards them with several Turkey-Day-themed items.

Not all, but some of the Turkey Day items that players can get from Franklin can also be obtained from Nook’s Cranny. This includes the Turkey Day casserole, chair, decorations, garden stand, hearth, table, table setting, and wheat decor. Special items from Franklin to help complete the decorations include flooring, a rug, wallpaper, and a cornucopia. Though Turkey Day is only one day, it can be more exciting than other events thanks to its recipe quests.

Countdown Includes A Wide Range Of Traditions

Newer Items For Countdown Include Global New Year Traditions

Countdown is Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ New Year celebration, which takes place on December 31. A large countdown clock to the new year will appear at Resident Services, and players can collect various free items to celebrate, like light sticks from Isabelle and party poppers from Tom Nook. Players will also be able to buy either a New Year’s hat or New Year’s silk hat from Nook. Players only get one of the two options for a four-year cycle, but can travel to other islands to purchase the other kind of hat.

Nook Shopping also offers some items starting on December 22 that celebrate real-world New Year celebrations from around the globe. This includes New Year’s noodles, the game’s version of Japan’s Toshikoshi soba, a Berliner pastry from , a Spanish twelve-grape dish, and a Russian Olivier salad. There is also a cute New Year celebration at Resident Services that happens at midnight, but this event loses some points because it would necessitate players to be on their Switch at midnight as opposed to having a real-life celebration.

Bunny Day Sends Players On An Egg Hunt

Eggs Are Hidden On The Player’s Island And Mystery Islands

Though not as long-standing a tradition as Toy Day, Bunny Day is another Animal Crossing holiday that has appeared in several games before New Horizons. Bunny day is an eight-day event that always ends on the same day as Easter (meaning the dates are different every year). Each day during the event, players can discover eggs hidden in various places, including trees, underground, and in the water. In total, there are five eggs in different locations, and each is used to craft different Bunny Day items. Some players aren't fans of Bunny Day, but at least the egg hunt is something to do.

During the lead-up to Bunny Day, players can also buy some exclusive items from Nook’s Cranny. These are all furniture items themed around Bunny Day, with the highlight probably being the Bunny Day topiary, a rabbit-shaped hedge holding an egg. The egg-hunting aspect makes Bunny Day a fun event to participate in, though it loses some of its excitement once players have crafted all the possible items with them.

Toy Day Lets Players Deliver Gifts To Villagers

Toy Day Has More Activities Than Other Holidays And Is Festively Themed

Toy Day is an Animal Crossing tradition that goes all the way back to the first generation of Animal Crossing games. Like in some of the previous Toy Day celebrations, New Horizons features Jingle the Reindeer, who tasks players with delivering presents to villagers. Jingle will reward players for delivering all the gifts to villagers, and villagers with a high enough friendship rating will also give the player a gift in return. The celebration is basically Christmas in all but name and takes place on December 24.

In the lead-up to Toy Day, players can buy toys from Nook’s Cranny and holiday-themed items from Able Sisters. That said, the toys that players receive as gifts from villagers on Toy Day are the same toys available in Nook’s Cranny, so it may be best to hold off on buying any until after receiving gifts. Toy Day might not last as long as some of the other events, but it is one of the most festive.

Festivale Has Some Of The Coolest Unique Items

Festivale Includes Interactive Items Like A Confetti Cannon

Festivale is Animal Crossing’s equivalent of Carnival, though it only takes place on a single day. Festivale always falls on Mardi Gras, which is the final day of Carnival. Although the event itself is only one day, players can buy their Festivale outfits from the Able Sisters starting at the beginning of February, so they can be dressed for the occasion throughout all of Carnival if they choose. On the actual day of Festivale, the rest of the villagers will also dress up. Nook’s Cranny also sells Festivale furniture and reactions in the lead-up to the event.

During the event in New Horizons, players are tasked with collecting colorful feathers for Pavé the peacock. After ten feather exchanges, Pavé will reward the player with a peacock-shaped Festivale float. Festivale stands out among Animal Crossing celebrations for having some of the coolest items of any event, including a confetti machine and light-up stage.

Wedding Season Is Animal Crossing’s Most Involved Event

Players Get Seven Days Of Activities To Do During Wedding Season

Wedding Season is a month-long event that takes place in June, and it is also one of the most interactive events in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Players will be invited to Harvey’s island to help set up a series of photo shoots. Each one will use different wedding-themed items which players can then buy from the alpaca couple Reese and Cyrus. After doing six photo shoots, players will be tasked with setting up a full wedding party.

In addition to the wedding-themed mini-game, players can also buy wedding items from Able Sisters and Nook Shopping throughout the month. The Able Sisters items include A Shiromuku and Tsunokakushi traditionally worn by brides in Shinto weddings, as well as a Hakama. Nook Shopping sells wedding decorations including a nuptial bell, nuptial doorplate, and nuptial ring pillow. Additionally, players can buy a flower-petal basket that they can carry around.

Animal Crossing’s Halloween Event Feels Like The Real Deal

Halloween Is Both Interactive And Well-Themed

Like any good Halloween celebration should, Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ Halloween event lasts the entire month of October. Each day throughout the month, players can purchase one piece of candy from Nook’s Cranny. This can later be given to villagers on the evening of October 31 in exchange for various Halloween-themed items. Villagers will also wear fun costumes on the day, including Tom Nook, who appropriately wears devil horns. All the events are overseen by the pumpkin-headed Jack, the self-proclaimed czar of Halloween.

In addition to buying candy, players can also buy costumes from Able Sisters throughout the month. As long as players are dressed in a costume, they can receive candy from any villagers who are in their own homes. If players refuse to give a villager who asks for candy, then the villager will apply face paint to the player. Though this is considered the “trick” part of “trick-or-treat,” it’s also a fun festive way to add to one’s Halloween look. Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ Halloween celebration has some of the strongest theming of any event.