Spread Some Cheer!

Well, now that you have regained your senses, it’s time to see what this winter has in store for you! What with the lost desert plot and the new Darkest Faerie game out, you can definitely expect something related to them coming from the mighty Advent Calendar. Remember to get there extra early so as not to be flocked by n00bs. ^^ It is also the perfect season to start up a collection or gallery since this is the season of giving and there are more than a few Neopians who are willing to lend a hand towards a good cause.

A couple of popular spots this season include the Happy Icy Fun Snow Shop (I think it’s the Neopian shop with the most adjectives in its name :P) and the Ice Cream Cart on Terror Mountain. Be sure to pick up some Chia pops and snowcake (it comes with its own candle!) on the way! They are great snacks and are fun to squirt/plop onto unsuspecting pets… Another good place to head to would be the Igloo Garage Sale. Mika and Carassa have been selling their so-called ‘junk’ for the past few years and it doesn’t look like they’re going to relocate anytime soon – so step into their cosy igloo and see what you can get for a bargain. Be careful though, there are times when their so-called ‘junk’ is ACTUALLY junk. -_-* In spite of that, it’s a great place to holiday shop as everything’s super cheap and doesn’t seem to have been used yet (how one can use a jar of olives is still a mystery to me…).

Another good spot to drop by would be at the underground Coffee Shop. It goes by the name Ye Olde Coffee Shoppe (very fitting, no?) and can be found near the Art Gallery. You will smell the heavenly aroma that is coffee as soon as you step through the door. There’s a whole variety of cappuccinos, tea, and brews just screaming ‘DRINK ME!’ – I personally recommend the Zeenana Cappuccino, and Earl Grey Tea. If coffee or tea is not your thing, don’t fret – there’s something for you too. The underground haven sells buns, cakes, and other assorted snacks for hungry travellers and artists so I’m sure you’ll find something appealing to your tastes. :)

A final essential spot to visit for the holidays is none other than the Tyrannian Concert Hall. There’s a different band playing there every night, so it will never be bland. If you like jazz (who doesn’t?) buy a ticket and have a good time when Jazzmosis is in town. If you prefer something different, why not try going to a Chomby and the Fungus Balls concert? All of the bands have their own merchandise, which are handed out at the end of the concert, so you’ll have a neat little souvenir to take home with you! Plus for all you avatar fanatics out there, three of the bands that play there also give out avatars! (Although I’m sure you already knew that, didn’t you? ;))

After enjoying yourself and indulging on some delicious foods, it’s time to see what YOU can do for the rest of Neopia :). Even though it’s the holiday season, Illusen (who cares about Jhudora?) is still working hard on her potions, and needs your help. Head over to her scenic glade and lend a hand – after all it is the season of giving! (NOTE: do not do this if you’re a newbie – it will suck all of your neopoints right out of your shiny new bank account.) I took my own advice and it ended up with me 30,000 neopoints poorer with a feeling of being cheated. Oh well, I guess there are just some Neopians who are all about GIMME GIMME GIMME!…*cough* let us move on. *sniffles* my poor poor neopoints!

The next place to spread some holiday cheer is one of the most miserable places in Neopia. That’s right – it’s the Neopian pound. A lot of pets are pounded (a verb here which means to abandon, throw away, disregard, and acting like a heartless jerk!) each day with no hope of ever being adopted. That’s a pretty dismal future for the poor critters, many of whom have been created just so users can get a fifty by fifty square of pixels. -_-* So what can you do to help? Why, you can adopt! It’s a very simple concept really – if you have been wanting a Kougra say for a couple of weeks now but aren’t too sure what color or gender it should be, this is the time to decide! Many of the pets that are pounded have decent stats in terms of their species and there’s probably one in every basic color (blue, red, yellow, and green)! ^^ If you are not looking to adopting a new pet, there’s always the option of giving some of these poor pets a paint job that may result in giving them a higher chance of being adopted by someone else. The best way to do this would be to adopt them say for a week or two and zapping them with the lab ray (it’s not all evil…just when it mixes up a pet’s gender and causing them confusion over sensitive issues) until they change to a cool color or have better stats.

A final place that definitely needs some holiday cheer is King Skarl’s castle. The rich, lazy Skeith (this didn’t come from me) sits on that drab old throne all day entertaining throngs of avatar-hungry Neopians. I mean if it were up to me, anyone who came up with a joke like “” definitely belongs in a dark rank dungeon with the keys thrown away (No, I really don’t have a humour for gibberish that involves a basket of fire faerie Blumaroos). So what can you do for him? Go buy a pair of lucky green boots and tap dance (who knew he was so sensitive to rhythm?) and bring him a basket of homemade chocolate chip cookies! (He is getting quite tired of eating those blocks of yeasty bread and bowls of rock soup.) Who knows? Maybe he might just crack a smile for once and come out of that castle of his…

My pets and I hope that you have taken our advice to heart and will spread some good will this season! (Oh yes, remember that your pets can’t always eat jellies and omelettes – a change of the menu once in a while won’t hurt your bank account too much.) May the Christmas weewoos be with you! ^^