How to Survive Grey Day: A Guide

Grey Day is on the fourteenth day of the month of Eating; it’s supposedly a festival to celebrate all our wonderful, Grey Neopians... But, we must ask ourselves: is this really what Grey Day is all about? Well, sorry to inform you, but this is exactly what Grey Day is not.

Grey Day is, first of all, very gloomy. This is the most grim time of the year, and I don’t mean just for pets that are painted Grey in particular. Grey Day affects all of Neopia. It doesn’t matter if you’re in Faerieland, Krawk Island, or Neopia Central. Or Shenkuu, for that matter.

Secondly, all parts of Neopia experience extreme weather conditions during this ‘holiday’; heavy rain, insane wind, extreme cold... Once again, it doesn’t matter where you are. If you go outside for a fraction of a second, you may be knocked over by wind, drenched by rain, or become very, very cold.

Moving on to the third factor; most Neopians feel abnormally sorrowful, cranky, downbeat, discouraged, or have similar kinds of feelings. Do not be alarmed if you experience any symptom(s) or notice anyone else with symptoms, for these are the normal symptoms of Grey Day. Though, not all of these symptoms could be because of Grey Day... Some people are just naturally cranky.

Now, as I said before, things can be done to prevent the problems Grey Day brings Neopians. There are some precautions that must be done, some that should be done, some that are optional, and others that I recommend. Some are supposed to be done pre-Grey Day, others during, and then some post Grey Day.

Things You Can Do Before Grey Day

1. First of all, it would be a good idea for you to read this guide thoroughly before Grey Day. I would also strongly recommend a list of things from this guide that you mean to do; it will help you in your quest to prevent sorrow on this dreadful day!

2. You’ll need to make sure you have access to the things in the next section of this guide (‘Things to Do During Grey Day’); otherwise, your efforts to minimize the impact of Grey Day upon yourself and others will be wasted.

3. Plan & host a get-together with friends and/or family during Grey Day at your neohome. No matter what your budget is, you’ll find something you can do... Perhaps, host a dinner, a sleepover (stargazing is recommended if you can actually see the stars!), or knit with some old friends. Whatever your cup of tea is, really. But generally, try not to go outside on Grey Day. Family & friends should arrive at least a day before, in case any extreme weather comes your way unexpectedly.

4. Purchasing whatever you will need before Grey Day is a MUST. It’s likely that some shops will be closed, due to extreme weather, or some excuse-or-other, like Dr. Sloth at large with Boochi’s ray gun of ultimate doom.

5. Depending on what you have planned for Grey Day, you should set up a day or two before the day actually comes.

Things to Do During Grey Day

This can really vary, depending on what you’re going to do and who you’re inviting, so I’ll just give you some examples.

1. Putting on your best smile is the first thing I’ll give a thumbs-up. Try being extra nice to everybody, and spread some cheer on the dreariest day of the year. Treat everyone (yes, this includes you, too!) to something, which can vary on what your budget is and what your tastes are; it could be a chocolate negg, some Krawk bubble bath, a paintbrush, or even a beautiful rug for a bedroom.

2. Host an event of some sort (see ‘Things You Can Do Before Grey Day’ for some examples), and have fun doing it! Try to make sure everyone is enjoying the get-together, or whatever you’ve planned.

3. If you’re more of a quiet kind of person who wouldn’t normally be inviting anyone over on any occasion, try curling up with a good book or the Neopian Times; perhaps take a bubble bath with some fancy products, or treat yourself to some sweets from the Chocolate Factory or Bakery. If all else fails, watching Neovision is a good backup plan.

4. If you’re not really a quiet person but have no one coming over to brave Grey Day with you, then perhaps heading over to the games room and trying to accomplish the feat of getting some shiny new trophies would be a good idea, or even heading over to the Neoboards to chat.

5. If you’re an owner of a few pets, maybe you should spend some time with them. I’m sure they’d enjoy playing hide and seek, reading a good book (or books), or, if they’re really girly, having a spa day would be a highlight for them.

6. Basically, just relax on Grey Day, and enjoy life. Maybe play an instrument and sing, read and write, dance like no one’s watching (come on, we all know that EVERYONE is talking about the band Yes Boy Ice-Cream!), and talk to friends and family.

Things To Do After Grey Day

1. It may be a good idea to neomail your friends and family after Grey Day, especially if any of them came over to see you on the fourteenth day of Eating. It’s good to socialize, and you may feel a bit better after Grey Day if you make sure everybody safely returned home.

2. Smile! You successfully had a happy Grey Day! :)