The holidays are about spending quality time with friends and family while rejoicing in the neighborhood around us. I’m Mike Zamora, a producer on The Sims 3 Seasons, and today I’ll be talking about how holidays can affect your Sims’ lives. We featured Spooky Day in a previous blog post highlighting some of the gameplay elements you can expect to happen when holidays arrive. In this pack we really wanted to give our players unique activities to highlight the change in each season.

What exactly are holidays in The Sims 3?

A holiday is a special day designated in each season where Sims in your town are given the day off from work or school to relax, have fun and celebrate. There’s a total of four holidays in the game: Leisure Day, Spooky Day, Snowflake Day and Love Day, each presenting a seasonally specific theme. When this special day finally arrives, moodlets will appear on your Sims that drive unique behavior. The festival grounds will also draw more visitors, creating a party-like atmosphere at the center of your town.

When will holidays occur?

Holidays typically occur towards the end of a season. Disabling a particular season (in the options menu) will also cancel the corresponding holiday as seasons and holidays are mutually inclusive to one another (can’t have one without the other). As the day draws closer, you will receive messages about the upcoming holiday in case you needed to tie up some loose ends before that special day arrives.

With winter just around the corner in North America, I thought it would be appropriate to tell you all about my Sim family as they experience Snowflake Day together in Sunset Valley. It’s been an unusually cold but exciting winter. Nearing the end of the season, the Bearden family has decided to take advantage of the last big snow storm to go outside and play. Check out how festive the neighborhood looks with the holiday house lights!

 
After a long day of playing outside, it appears that Martin has caught a cold and is not feeling very well. In colder seasons, Sims have a higher chance of getting sick, so be sure to keep your Sims warm by sending them indoors or having them utilize their outerwear clothing. If your Sims do become ill, you can speed up their recovery time by performing interactions such as hanging out near a fireplace. Flu shots are also available at the hospital as a preventative measure. Let’s hope this doesn’t ruin Martin’s holiday.

 
Snowflake Day is finally here! Throwing a gift giving party is a great way to start things off. During this holiday, Sims are more likely to accept socials. Everyone around your town will autonomously perform more friendly socials, making this holiday one of the best times to throw parties and spread the holiday cheer!

It looks like Martin is feeling much better, so let the gift giving party begin! Let’s hope our Sims get exactly what they were wishing for.

 
Having performed well at her job all year, Chelsea just heard great news that she will be receiving a winter holiday bonus! This is going to be the best Snowflake Day ever! Depending on factors such as your performance and how many times you’ve called in sick, there is a chance that money will be paid out to your Sim the day before Snowflake Day. It’s always nice to have a little extra cash.

Let’s see what’s going on at the winter festival. It looks like there’s quite a few Sims out to enjoy the holiday outdoors. You can send your Sim to the concession stand to grab some eggnog or coffee to stay nice and warm. If you’re hungry, order up the seasonal gingerbread cookies.

 
In each festival lot, you will find photo booths for your Sims to take greeting card photos. Afterward, you are given the option to post your greeting card on your TS3 Profile Page!

 
Your Sims will also receive a framed copy of your greeting card photo that you can decorate your wall with.

 
I hope you enjoyed your glimpse into Snowflake Day, one of the four holidays included in The Sims 3 Seasons.

Enjoy!
Mike Zamora, Producer for The Sims 3