Christmas is almost upon us and winter holiday events are available in numerous games. While some MMOs have holiday events just for the fun of it, others create an entire history and a “reason for the season”! Here is a short list of ways to fill your online gaming experience with that good ol’ holiday cheer!

World of Warcraft – Winter Veil

The origins of Winter Veil will be different depending on which resident of Azeroth you ask. The dwarves of the Alliance mainly focus on Greatfather Winter and consider him to be the personification of a great titan. Meanwhile, the tauren of the Horde tend to think of the season as a time of renewal and rebirth for the land. However, almost everyone agrees that Winter Veil is the time for great feasts, celebration, and gift exchanges.

Much like the real world, there are some races who see Grandfather Winter’s visit to Azeroth as a time to make a profit. Additionally, the Abominable Greench gets quite upset during this time of year and almost always causes trouble. Luckily, there are always brave heroes to can take back what he steals and scare him away for another year.

Winter Veil runs from December 16 – January 2.

Guild Wars 2 – A Very Merry Wintersday

Wintersday in Tyria is a time when the races come together to say farewell to the past and prepare for new beginnings. The event first began with the celebration of the end of the Season of the Colossus and the beginning of the Season of the Zephyr, which was chosen based on the outcome of a battle between gods Grenth and Dwayna.

This is typically when Toymaster Tixx’s rebellious inventions go haywire and threaten the world with the terrible Toypocalypse. All the while, the Snowmen give presents and the Grentches destroy gifts as they spread their own versions of the holiday throughout Tyria.

Wintersday runs from December 19 to January 2.

Final Fantasy XIV – Starlight Celebration

The Starlight Celebration has been observed for several generations. The tradition began during the Dragonsong War. Many Ishgardian children were left homeless as a result of the battles between the Knights of Ishgard and the Dravanian Horde. Although it was forbidden, the Knights of Ishgard began seeking out these children and offered them shelter within their company barracks. Years later, the orphans had entered adulthood and started a tradition to pay tribute to the knights who had rescued them from the cold. During the coldest nights of the year, these rescued men and women dress in scarlet uniforms and pass out gifts to the children of the realm, passing along the kindness they had once received themselves.

The modern-day Starlight Celebration is run by volunteers who do similar work to what the orphans did long ago. These “little helpers” deliver presents to children, spread kindness and warmth, and try their best to bring families together. This year, the Starlight celebrant of Ul’dah aims to bring happiness to the boys and girls of a local children’s ward.

Starlight runs from December 15 to December 31.

EverQuest II – Frostfell

The Frostfell origin is unknown and quite mysterious. In fact, the dark elves and other evil races even participate without truly knowing why. One theory is that everyone loves receiving gifts, but the more sinister races would try to have you believe that they do not receive presents, but rewards earned for their elite skills.

Traditionally, Frostfell consists of four special days: Kinship Day, Feasting Day, Gifting Day, and a final day of celebration. Additionally, the Frostfell Wonderland Village re-opens where Santa Glug can be found handing out gifts to all of the good boys and girls of Norrath. The village features special crafting materials which allow woodworkers, provisioners, and tailors to make special goodies for friends and family. There are also snowball fights

Frostfell runs from December 6 to January 5 this year, which started slightly earlier than usual this time.

A large number of other online games are also holding special events. These include Black Desert Online, Rocket League, Overwatch, The Secret World, Wildstar, and even Star Trek Online!