Wintersday 2009
“Can you feel that crisp chill in the air? It's that time of year when the cities of Tyria shine like beacons with festive decor, and the gods Dwayna and Grenth fight over who will control the weather during the coming months. Holiday vendors sell seasonal treats, and the air is full of snowballs and the sound of laughter. Wintersday is almost here!
Schedule[edit]
| PST | UTC | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, December 18th, 2009, Noon | Friday, December 18th, 2009, 20:00 | Start of the event. |
| Friday, January 1st, 2010, 12:01 am until Saturday, January 2nd, 2010, 12:01 am |
Friday, January 1st, 2010, 08:01 until Saturday, January 2nd, 2010, 08:01 |
Finales every 3 hours. (See accompanying chart.) |
| Monday, January 4th, 2010, Noon | Monday, January 4th, 2010, 20:00 | End of the event. |
| PST (UTC-8) |
UTC / GMT (24 hr format) |
|---|---|
| 12:01 am | 08:01 |
| 3:01 am | 11:01 |
| 6:01 am | 14:01 |
| 9:01 am | 17:01 |
| 12:01 pm | 20:01 |
| 3:01 pm | 23:01 |
| 6:01 pm | 02:01 January 2 |
| 9:01 pm | 05:01 January 2 |
| 12:01 am January 2 |
08:01 January 2 |
Finale[edit]
The Wintersday grand finale runs every 3 hours starting at 12:01 am PST on Friday, January 1st, 2010, and ending 12:01 am PST on Saturday, January 2nd, 2010, in Lion's Arch. Finales will also be taking place in Kamadan, but will have a 15 minute delay like they did during Wintersday 2006, 2007 and 2008.
The Wintersday finale is similar to Nine Rings at the Shing Jea Boardwalk but with Candy Cane Shards instead of Festival Tickets. Playing this game counts towards your Lucky title track.
Each game will cost you 1 Candy Cane Shard. If you are standing on a ring adjacent to the winning ring, you will receive 2 Candy Cane Shards and 2 Lucky points. If you were standing on the winning ring, you win a Wintersday Gift. You also receive the same number of Candy Cane Shards and Lucky points, depending on what ring was chosen, which are 3 of each for the middle, 4 of each for the side, and 5 of each for the corner.
At the end of the finale, approximately a dozen Wintersday Gifts will be added to your inventory one at a time, taking roughly 15 minutes; so be sure to stay in the district that you're in for that duration (until the winning deity says farewell and leaves). Note that it is not necessary to remain on any of the rings during the post-game Wintersday Gift giving phase; it is sufficient just to be in the district.
Due to a bug that resulted in some users failing to receive festival hats, Wintersday was repeated for a brief period.
Festival hats[edit]
During each finale, the rival gods Grenth and Dwayna will call upon the people of the town for their support. The God with the most followers, will reward the people of the town with a festival hat. Followers of Grenth stand upon the red rings, and the followers of Dwayna upon the green or blue rings. Traditionally, by informal agreement, Dwayna is supported in even numbered districts and Grenth in odd ones – abiding by this convention helps to guarantee that players can acquire the hat of their choosing.
| Snow Crystal Crest (Dwayna victory) |
Ice Shard Crest (Grenth victory) |
|---|---|
 |
|
Decorated towns[edit]
New features[edit]
- You can unlock the new White Jingle Moa in Gwen's garden if you complete the 3 Wintersday quests given by Lieutenant Thackeray.
Introduction of Costumes[edit]
“For the first time ever, we're offering two fantastic Wintersday-themed costumes, available for purchase in the Guild Wars In-Game Store and the NCsoft Store. These special decorative garments allow you to dress up as a stylized version of Grenth, the god of death, or his immortal rival Dwayna, goddess of light! As an added bonus, these costumes fit into the new costume slots on your character portrait, so they can be worn over your existing armor without affecting your stats!
Returning features[edit]
- Two well-known Wintersday quests are back to let you side with Grenth and his grentches or Dwayna and her snowmen before their final showdown. Unsure which deity to support? Try both quests to pick your favorite!
- Quest chains from past years that involve certain beloved (and rare) holiday-themed animals.
- Two repeatable quests set in the (previously) Secret Lair of the Snowmen. It's your choice: help save the snowmen, and all of Wintersday, or lead a group of grentches on a final "bah, humbug" of the season.
- Venture into the Underworld for a series of repeatable snowball fights against the forces of Grenth or the forces of Dwayna. Take control of piles of presents to win victory for your side in this frosty fray.
- More snowball mayhem in the form of PvP snowball fights! Random forces unite within an arena to fight for either Grenth or Dwayna. The first team to gather five presents for its patron deity wins the day.
- Embrace the old adage "it is better to give than to receive" at the city event game in Lion's Arch, Droknar's Forge, Kamadan, and Ascalon City. Deliver presents to the children before the grentches destroy Wintersday. You never know, the little urchins might reward you with something special for your generosity.
- You can unlock the Jingle Bear in Gwen's garden if you complete the 3 Wintersday quests given by Lieutenant Thackeray.
Quests[edit]
- Grandfather Kringle quests
- Elder Skruuj quests
Rift Warden (found in both Lion's Arch and Kamadan)
- In Grenth's Defense
- You're a Mean One, Mr. Grenth
- Straight to the Heart (Eye of the North required)
- The Strength of Snow (Eye of the North required)
Collectors[edit]
Holiday rewards[edit]
In addition to the seasonally appropriate headwear that you can receive from Grenth or Dwayna at the end of the grand finale, you can also obtain these Wintersday Items during the 2009 festivities:
| Pic | Item |
|---|---|
 |
Frosty Summoning Stone: Nobody should be alone on Wintersday! Use this item to summon a Snowman ally! |
 |
Mischievous Summoning Stone: Summon a Grentch ally to help you celebrate Wintersday, Grenth-style. |
 |
Frosty Tonic: Don't just build the snowman—BE the snowman! |
 |
Mischievous Tonic: Get in touch with your inner Grentch by taking on the outer appearance of one! |
 |
Wintersday Gift: What surprise will you find inside? Don't ask us—unwrap it and find out! |
 |
Snowman Summoner: Because sometimes you just need a snowman. |
 |
Eggnog: The official beverage of Wintersday! |
 |
Spiked Eggnog: A more potent nog for the hale and hearty. Don't worry; there are no actual spikes in the drink! |
 |
Wintergreen Candy Cane: The candy of choice for adventurers everywhere! |
 |
Rainbow Candy Cane: A fancy, flavorful candy cane that makes long days of questing more enjoyable. |
 |
Peppermint Candy Cane: Another different flavor of candycane, making adventures much more bearble. |
 |
Yuletide Tonic: Drink this tonic and become one of Dwayna's little helpers! |
 |
Globs of Frozen Ectoplasm: Running low on Yuletide Tonic? Try some of this! |
 |
Fruitcake: Everyone loves fruitcake, or they should! This holiday staple will put a spring in your step. |
 |
Candy Cane Shards: Collect these colorful fragments during quests and competitions. Hoard them for the grand finale, have a candysmith forge the shards into a weapon, or trade them and see what you can get in exchange! |
 |
Miniature Polar Bear: Help the Snowmen or Grentches in their two quests and maybe you'll get a little treat at the end! |
Notes[edit]
- In Kamadan, during past years, clicking on the "don't feed the dwarf" sign allowed characters to get in the cage, and ignore the candy cane barriers. In 2009, this is no longer the case. Now characters can go in and out of the barrier with ease.
- Before the January 1st, 2010 update, there was a bug which caused many players to not receive a festival hat during the finale events.
See also[edit]
External links[edit]
| Special events | |
|---|---|
| Canthan New Year | 2007 • 2008 • 2009 • 2010 • 2011 • 2012 • 2013 • 2014 onward |
| April Fools' Day | 2007 • 2008 • 2009 • 2010 • 2011 • 2012 • 2013 • 2014 onward |
| Anniversary Celebration | 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 8th • 9th • 10th-14th • 15th onward |
| Dragon Festival | 2006 • 2007 (Redux) • 2008 • 2009 • 2010 • 2011 • 2012 • 2013 • 2014 onward |
| Wintersday in July | 2008 • 2009 • 2010 • 2011 • 2012 • 2013 • 2014 onward |
| Halloween | 2005 • 2006 • 2007 • 2008 (Redux) • 2009 • 2010 • 2011 • 2012 • 2013 • 2014 onward |
| Wintersday | 2005 • 2006 • 2007 • 2008 • 2009 (Redux) • 2010 • 2011 • 2012 • 2013 onward |
| Other annual events | Breast Cancer Awareness Month • Lucky Treats Week • Pirate Week Special Treats Week • Sweet Treats Week • Wayfarer's Reverie |
| One-time only events | Day of the Tengu • Farewell to Gaile |
