Animal Crossing: New Horizons Winter Update Adds Holidays, Save Transfers

The Animal Crossing: New Horizons winter update goes live on November 19, bringing back Turkey Day and Toy Day celebrations alongside several additional enhancements. As ever, the new New Horizons update is free, though some events do require the Resident Services building.

Turkey Day falls on November 26 in 2020 and sees Franklin the master chef turkey return. He’ll set up shop in the plaza and ask for help finding ingredients for a reward.

The following holiday is Toy Day, celebrated on December 24. Jingle the Black-Nosed Reindeer makes his holly-jolly way to islands everywhere and asks for help distributing presents.

Festive-minded islanders can get in the winter spirit even earlier. The Animal Crossing winter update adds new winter-themed DIY recipes crafted with special ornaments dropped from shaking lighted trees.

From December 1 through December 25, the Nooklings’ store and the Able Sisters add holiday-themed items to their inventory rotation, and from December 26 through December 31, players can find New Year’s items at the Nooklings’ shop.

Players can exchange Nook Miles for a new set of reactions, including sitting down and showing excitement, and a new set of hairstyles, such as an Afro and a shaved style.

Island save transfer is finally a thing, and it lets individual residents transfer their data to a new system as well.

Finally, the Animal Crossing winter update adds more storage for those who already expanded their home all the way — up to 2,400 item slots.

While it’s a shame other winter holidays are once again not represented in the latest iteration of Animal Crossing, perhaps Nintendo may add them in one of the game’s promised new event updates.