The Color Debate: Halloween or Christmas

1) Originality

One of the biggest differences between the two colors is originality. With some of the Christmas painted pets, it seems as if a few decorative lights were carelessly tangled with the pet’s fur, which was then adorned with some colorful bows and ribbons, such as the Christmas JubJub. This isn’t really all that original. Many of the Halloween pets seem to be more thought out characters, with individual costumes and creative color changes, such as the Halloween Moehog’s cynical attire, which seems somehow reminiscent of a certain evil character. It doesn’t take as much thought to slap some lights and garland on a Gnorbu. In some cases, however, the inverse is true. For example, the Christmas Shoyru has quite an intricate little outfit on, with snow-adorned wings. The Halloween Shoyru, however, merely dawns a red jumpsuit and a pitchfork to affiliate itself with this holiday. Some pets just seem to be lacking inspiration in their costume design.

2) Gender

Another thing to take into consideration is your pet’s gender. Some of the costumes and accessories that come with each color are somewhat gender specific. For example, let’s say you want to paint a Chia. If your Neopet is a boy, then you might want to spare him the embarrassment of having to walk around Neopia in a dress and high heels, so stay away from the Halloween Paint Brush. On the other hand, if you have a girl Chia, she may be upset to find herself with short hair and lederhosen, so you may not want to spend your hard earned Neopoints on a Christmas Paint Brush. Make sure that you check what your pet will look like before you paint it!

3) Species Availability

It is important to remember that not every species can be every color. It would be quite a waste to spend all of your Neopoints on a Christmas Paint Brush for your Hissi, only to find out that this species is left out of the holiday fun. Furthermore, if your favorite Neopet can’t be painted the color that you want, then it’s probably a good idea to go for the other Paint Brush, rather than settling on a species you don’t like as much. You’d feel awfully silly if they released a Christmas Skeith later, but you’re stuck with a Christmas Yurble. It’s easier to buy another Paint Brush than to adopt a whole new pet, or change your pet’s species.

4) Identity

Does your Uni love frolicking through flowers and flying around Faerieland? Does she enjoy combing her mane in the mirror, and admiring her reflection? Then you might not want to give her gray skin, red eyes, and flaming hooves. It is important to reflect your Neopet’s personality through their color. Make sure that you are accurately portraying how they act through their color before you paint them. Color can really define who a Neopet is. After all, your big, masculine Grarrl may resent how silly he looks in the Battledome with pointy shoes and a little bell on his head. And nobody wants to live with an angry Grarrl.

5) Avatar

Before you decide how to paint your pet, you may want to consider that some species may give an avatar when painted. If you are an avatar collector, it may sway your decision a little bit to know that if you choose to paint your Meerca with a Halloween Paint Brush, you can get an avatar, and you can help others get an avatar. However, there can be some problems with this. For example, if someone happens to notice that you have a Halloween Mynci, but you gave him a Faerie petpet. This person, if they are an avid avatar collector, may politely suggest that you give him or her a spooky petpet so that this person can get the avatar. If you don’t comply, this person may persist with multiple Neomails. More people may follow suit, and you suddenly find yourself with hundreds of Neomails a day. Suddenly a Christmas Mynci doesn’t seem so bad. Also, if your Neopet gives an avatar, it draws attention to your pet and your account this may lead to an increased possibility of being scammed or politely asked for a few spare Neopoints. Some avatars are derived from actually having the right Neopet. If you happen to have one of these pets, some Neopians seem to think that this means you are willing to trade your pet so this person may get the avatar. The amount of ensuing Neomails may become somewhat bothersome.

6) Your Own Personality

Are you like me, where the mere mention of golden leaves falling to the ground, scary movies, candy by the bucket, and cheap vinyl vampire capes can get you excited? Or does snow falling outside, while a fire is gently cracking and the smell of cocoa and peppermint wafting through the air sound better? Either way, it’s important to remember that your opinion matters in choosing your Neopet’s color. A good way to decide which holiday-themed Paint Brush is best for you is to decide which holiday you like better. You’ll have to see your Neopet all year, so you might as well choose a holiday that you like, rather than the most convenient brush for the season.

I hope that this article helped someone out there. Whether you’re trying to decide between making your Kiko an elf or a pumpkin, or if you’re just interested in holiday-themed pets, I hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts on the Halloween and Christmas Paint Brushes. If you still can’t decide on which color to paint your pet, you can always do what I did: get one of each. Indecisiveness is always the best decision. And it can be fun, especially if your pets are the same species. Good luck with getting your best pets!