Animal Crossing: New Horizons Is Calling Us Back This Christmas

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It’s the perfect time to revisit Animal Crossing: New Horizons for a cozy Christmas experience! While Nintendo isn’t adding new updates regularly, the game continues to run with the real-time seasons. Island life and decorating are always fun, but it’s especially magical to play during the holidays. If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, you’ll find your island covered in snow and full of festive spirit!

There’s an extra special reason to play Animal Crossing: New Horizons this holiday season! After five years of enjoying the game, fans are getting a brand new update in January – the perfect Christmas gift. It’s time to get your game ready, tidy up your island, and prepare to return to the winter fun of Animal Crossing just in time for the holidays!

The Festive Season Officially Kicks Off Tomorrow

Find Christmas Lights And Festive Ornaments

The Festive Season comes to ANCH in December, and it’s a time I really enjoy. From December 15th to January 6th, all the evergreen trees on the island are beautifully decorated with colorful Christmas lights.

During this period, shaking trees might cause them to drop ornaments. You can collect these ornaments and use them to create holiday decorations, including gifts, decorated Christmas trees, wreaths, and sleds – and even larger ornaments!

Toy Day Is The Best Day Of The Year

And Jingle Is The Best Event Mascot

Santa can’t come to Animal Crossing: New Horizons himself this year. He’s sending his helper, Jingle the reindeer, to deliver gifts to everyone on your island instead.

Jingle is a happy reindeer who always seems to sparkle, making him a delight to be around. He’s a much more welcome sight than Zipper, the unsettling (and supposedly real) rabbit mascot from last year’s Easter event.

Jingle will give you a bag of presents and ask you to deliver them to everyone on your island. You can also buy a Santa costume from the Able Sisters to really get into the spirit! There’s nothing more festive than dressing up as Santa and handing out gifts like the jolly man himself.

The Villagers Are Just As Excited About The Holiday

Exchange Gifts And Wear Cute Hats

Many of us stopped playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons after a while. And honestly, it’s hard to start up again because you worry your villagers will guilt-trip you for being away!

The Festive Season is a great time to revisit the game and check in on your neighbors! They’ve probably noticed you’ve been away and might playfully give you a hard time, but everyone’s in a cheerful mood, and gifts always help smooth things over.

The villagers and other characters in the game, like Isabelle, really get into the holiday spirit! They’ll wear Santa hats and chat about the weather – it’s cold up north and hot down south – and even compliment your Santa costume if you’re wearing one. It’s a cute detail that reminds long-time players of older Animal Crossing games where characters had more lively interactions.

You Can Build A Snowman

Just Don’t Let His Grumpiness Bring You Down

Okay, so imagine your beautiful island gets completely covered in snow – it’s amazing! The first thing I always do is build a snowman. During the winter, you start finding these little snowballs lying around, and it’s so fun! You just stand behind one and walk forward to push it, and it rolls and gets bigger and bigger – that’s how you make the base for your snowman!

Once you’ve made the base, roll another snowball until it’s about the size of a head. Then, push it on top to create a snowboy, inspired by Animal Crossing! It’s a classic winter activity, but be warned: this snowboy isn’t shy about offering his opinion on your building skills. He’ll complain if the head isn’t just right, and might even be a bit grumpy about it!

If you successfully build a well-proportioned snowman, you’ll receive a sparkling snowflake each day he remains standing. Save these snowflakes to enjoy even more festive crafts and keep the Christmas spirit going longer!

It’s A Perfect Time For A Festive Makeover

Find A Good Home For All Your New Christmas And Winter Decor

Wondering what to do with all your Christmas decorations? I’ve found a fun way to use them! I regularly play Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp and redesign my campsite to match the current monthly theme and atmosphere. The holiday season is perfect for doing the same thing in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

You could decorate the entire island with festive Christmas decorations, like confetti, trees, and ornaments. Alternatively, you can create a cozy Christmas atmosphere by decorating just a single room or a small area within a room.

We Need To Get Ready For The Update

Arriving On January 15, 2026

As a huge Animal Crossing fan, I was totally shocked by the announcement of Version 3.0! It’s been a while since the last big update – all the way back in 2021 – so this was a really pleasant surprise. And it’s not just a little patch; it’s a massive update coming on January 15, 2026, with tons of new things to do and experience in the game!

The upcoming free update features a completely new hotel, a multiplayer area called Dream Islands, and special collaborations with the Zelda and Splatoon games. It also includes lots of smaller improvements. Many players are already getting their islands ready for the update this Christmas.

How you get ready for visitors depends on whether you’re keeping your existing island or starting a new one. Since I’m keeping mine, I’ll be tidying up by removing weeds, making some final decorating touches, and finally finishing a neglected area in the northeast corner.

My coworker, Carrie Lambertsen, has completely redesigned her Animal Crossing: New Horizons island to get it ready for the update. Because she’s starting over, she’ll probably be spending a lot of time building everything from scratch and making it welcoming for visitors. (And she’ll definitely be taking some beautiful Christmas-themed screenshots for this article, too!)

ACNH Is The Perfect Cozy Game For Cozy Season

Curl Up With Your Switch And Enjoy The Season’s Joy

Living in New York City means dealing with cold, slushy winters, and honestly, I just want to stay inside. Animal Crossing: New Horizons has always been my favorite game to play when the weather gets bad. With winter here and a new update coming soon, I’m really looking forward to relaxing in my comfy chair and escaping to my island in the game.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is always fun to play, but it’s particularly special during the holidays and at Christmas. Spread holiday cheer to your villagers, decorate your island and house, and enjoy a festive new experience in the game!

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2025-12-14 20:02