Thanksgiving and Christmas come to 'Animal Crossing: New Horizons'

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is going to be a cheery little place come holiday season. According to Nintendo, the insanely famous game which became COVID-19's go-to title is now getting updates themed according to Thanksgiving and Christmas. The "Turkey Day" update is set for Nov. 26. followed by "Toy Day" on Dec. 24.

You'll be able to meet new characters and do some holiday activities like buy gifts and invite your loved ones over for a delicious feast. The Animal Crossing landscape is expected to be covered in snow, decorated with adorable Christmas trees, and feature visits from the jolly-looking reindeer named Jingle, a rather stoic-looking turkey named Franklin (he needs your help with cooking and will reward you for your efforts). There will also be theme-appropriate hairstyles and accessories, new islands to visit, and of course, gingerbread — because the holidays are incomplete without a bit of gingerbread.

"It’s a great time of year to welcome visitors over and show off your island while enjoying each other’s company," Nintendo says in its game update. "The winter update also brings new Reactions and hairstyles to Animal Crossing: New Horizons, an upgrade option for expanded in-game home item storage, and save data transfer capabilities." The last little bit about data transfers and backups is the delightful cherry on top of everything. From a spooky Halloween update to music and fashion shows, Nintendo really knows how to keep people hooked.

Now, about that little gift — Nothing truly devastates an Animal Crossing gamer more than losing their island and everything they worked so hard to create on it. It genuinely is a terrible experience given that these islands, homes, and general community experiences require a good deal of detail and attention. No one wants to lose it down the drain.

In order to fix that problem, Nintendo has announced that it will allow data transfers and backups for Animal Crossing users this holiday season. "The whole island transfer feature will enable you to move your user save data, along with the island itself and all the residents, to another system," the company announced. "This service will be facilitated by the free Island Transfer Tool app in Nintendo eShop."

All you need for the feature to work is the latest edition of Animal Crossing and the Save Data Transfer option on your system. You need to access your old and new Switch to make it work. This is possible even without your original system as long as you have island backup enabled. So don't forget to save this merry season's adventures.