Winter Festivals

With a lot of holiday hubbub it's been increasingly more difficult to get a post written, seeing as I (and Hannah) have so much going on to prepare for the season.  And with a disappointing lack of ideas, I personally found it hard to get enough inspiration to write.  And then it hit me.  What about the winter festivals? They haven't been touched on in great detail yet, and now seems as though it's the perfect time to do it as it ties into the traditional time so nicely.

Harmony Day (Winter 5, 6:00-24:00): Harmony Day, what some consider the equivalent of Thanksgiving here in America, is an all-day event all over the island of Castanet.  The purpose of Harmony Day is to show your appreciation of other island-residents by giving them a piece of Shortcake. If you have an island member up to five hearts, they will give you a piece when you talk to them as well.  You can recycle the shortcake and give it back to rack up friendship points, or you can eat/ship it as well.  The possibilities of this seemingly pointless holiday really are worth it.

Starry Night Festival (Winter 11, 18:00-22:00):  The Starry Night Festival is held in Flute Fields on Moon Hill annually.  It's a romance festival, with a chance to picnic under the stars with a marriage candidate/spouse.  While the festival starts at 18:00, giving you a chance to get a picture taken and socialize, your romantic interest will not arrive to view the stars until 19:00.  While watching the stars, you'll see a shooting star that allows you to be granted one wish, provided you complete the challenge at hand. You must select one of the five options, three times in a row in order to get your wish.  But be careful of clicking too fast, as the wishes are scrambled at each screen and you only have a few seconds to choose, so think on your feet!  If your wish is granted, you will get one of the five things available (popular/family affection+, recover/choco pudding, dive/tarpon, sleep/stamina recovered, gain/1000G).

New Year's Eve (Winter 28, 18:00-23:00): The New Year's Eve celebration is even more grand than in ToT!  Held in Harmonica town's entrance, next to the clock tower, there are many booths and festivals to see and participate in.  You can choose to participate in any or all of the following: Mining Contest, Fashion Contest, Bargain Contest.  You'll also have the opportunity to buy unique items, especially rare outfits and accessories at Shelly's booth that can only be found once a year at that festival.  Once time has ticked away and it's 23:00, the new year's countdown begins and you have the opportunity to make a wish as well.  Depending on what you select, you can raise affection with romantic interests/spouse, the people of Harmonica Town, or the people of Flute Fields.

So as you're rushing through this real winter season, don't forget to take some time to relax and enjoy the joys of Harvest Moon's take on it.