Unleashing the Holiday Spirit – A Guide

     1. Use the Winter Holiday site theme

     A quick and easy way to usher in the holiday spirit is by changing up your site theme. With the addition of the Winter Holiday beta site theme earlier this year, you can enjoy the aesthetic of a snowy winter wonderland all throughout Neopia! It’s like being in Happy Valley 24/7. Of course, this theme would look even better if you…

     2. Customize your pets!

     That’s right, a wintry backdrop is incomplete without wintry pets to match! Thankfully, there is no end to the amount of holiday-themed wearables available for your pets. I’m no fashion expert, but some of my favourite holiday items include:

     - A Warm Winters Night Background – snowy cottage vibes, what’s not to love?

     - Light Up Holiday Sweater – perfect for a tacky holiday party

     - Brucey B Holiday Mug – for all those festive drinks

     - Candy Cane Lights – colourful and whimsical!

     Bundle your pet up into a nice cosy sweater and fill their mug with hot cocoa – they’ll love you for it! And while you’re out doing some shopping for your own pets, might as well pick up a few gifts for others, right? Which leads us to –

     3. Be a Secret Santa

     Nothing unleashes the holiday spirit quite like the gift of giving, and there is certainly no shortage of “wishlists” floating around Neopia! My personal strategy for the art of giving is what I call the “gallery crawl”. I simply search through my Neofriends’ galleries until I find an item they’re missing out of their collection, and voila! Of course, another method would be to lurk through the Neoboards for item wishlists. These often come in all shapes and sizes and include both neopoint and Neocash items, making it easy to find something you can give! In the end, whether your gift is worth 50 np or 50,000 np, you will be sure to warm the heart of an unsuspecting Neopian.

     4. Give yourself the Gift of NC

     Gifting others is always fun, but who said we couldn’t extend a little giving to ourselves too?! And this year, NC happens to be the gift that keeps on giving – literally! The NC Mall is awarding extra NC for any purchases through January 5th. Few things bring me more holiday cheer than a good deal – this one is a no brainer.

     5. Find deals at the Igloo Garage Sale

     Speaking of deals…the Igloo Garage Sale is the place go! Terror Mountain is a destination spot for the month of Celebrating, and one of the most underrated attractions is Mika and Carassa’s little shop of treasures. There are few places in Neopia where you can find a Yellow Chomby Jigsaw Puzzle, a Milk Chocolate Lenny, and some Sandstone Boots all in one place! And not to mention, the price tags on Mika and Carassa’s items are truly unbeatable.

     6. Play Ice Cream Machine

     While you’re headed back down to Happy Valley from the top of Terror Mountain, you might as well swing over to pay Adee the Chia a visit! With the end of Flash, our beloved ice cream-slinging game has been converted into a new and improved HTML5 version. Help Adee dodge those delicious scoops of ice-creamy goodness and gain back of few of the neopoints you’ve probably spent on gifts over the past few days! If you’re lucky, you just might earn a score worthy of unlocking a shiny new avatar.

     7. Visit the Snowager

     There is no better time than the month of Celebrating to visit our favourite old Snowickle, the Snowager himself. While our ferocious friend typically guards his treasures for 21 hours a day, he hibernates during the entire holiday month, leaving his treasure exposed for eager Neopians to grab. Be sure to sneak into his cave every day and see what wonders you might run off with!

     8. Donate to the Money Tree

     The holiday season is a time to remember those in need. It’s easy to dwell on the paint brushes we want or the stamps we’re still missing from our albums, but we can’t ignore those less fortunate Neopians waiting at the Money Tree, hoping for a few spare neopoints or some food for their pet. Consider donating a nice plushie or that codestone you won from the battledome – a little generosity can go a long way.

     9. Check in on your Neofriends

     It’s easy to assume that the month of Celebrating is all Hot Cocoa and Frosted Babaa Cookies, but the changing of the season can be hard on many of our fellow Neopians. And with all the talk of giving gifts, no gift compares with knowing that your Neofriends are looking out for you. This could come in the form of a Seasonal Greeting Card or a simple neomail; whatever means of communication you choose, your Neofriends will appreciate knowing that they aren’t alone.

     10. Enjoy the Advent Calendar

     The holiday season would be incomplete without a daily visit to the Advent Calendar. Year after year, the Advent Calendar generously showers Neopians with neopoints and shiny new items. If you remember to visit every day, you may even earn a few avatars and unlock a new site theme! If you’re looking for a surefire way to get that holiday spirit flowing, the Advent Calendar is the perfect choice.

     I am confident that with the completion of these 10 steps, your holiday spirit will be unleashed with a force that even Dr. Sloth himself can’t stop. And remember – the best part of the holidays is the joy that you can bring to your fellow Neopians!