It's a well-known fact that New Year's Eve parties are usually a bit rubbish. Aside from the occasional rockin' house party or swish 'n' swinging shindig, they often turn out to be expensive and disappointing evenings that lead to you starting the new year not refreshed and optimistic, but with a thick head and a lot of dry cleaning to attend to.
So why not stay at home with your Switch and see in the new year with Animal Crossing: New Horizons instead? Get your friends over and make a night of it! Or settle down solo — we ain't judging.
Here's a guide to getting the most out of the New Year's Eve celebrations in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons: New Year's Eve Guide
New Year's Eve Event Times
Beginning at 5am on December 31st, Resident Services will be closed on your island, with Tom Nook and Isabelle dressed for the occasion, and setting up a giant countdown clock in front of the building. There are also decorations and a prize cart in the plaza.
During the entire day on December 31st, the whole island will be celebrating the coming of the new year with a giant party in the plaza. The festivities will last all day on the 31st in your game - culminating, of course, in the ringing in of the new year at midnight.
New Year's Items from Tom Nook and Nook Shopping - How to Get the New Year's Silk Hat
Leading up to New Year's Eve, players can purchase special items from Nook Shopping on their app, or at Resident Services; one of these items, the Sparkling Cider, can be held and used to make a toast when you press 'A' — a festive addition to the celebrations.
Another note on the hats available: only one type of hat, in four different colors, will be available for purchase from Tom Nook each year. Therefore, you may only have the New Year's Hat in four different colors available this year, and next year the New Year's Silk Hat may be available in other colors (there are eight colors total). Be sure to visit your friends' islands to collect other variations!
The other items available for the holiday, and tips on how to acquire them, can be found below. You'll have to speak to Tom Nook on your main plaza to get some of them!
| Item Image | Item Name | How to Obtain |
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Sparkling Cider | Purchase through Nook Shopping between December 27th - 31st |
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New Year's Noodles | Purchase through Nook Shopping between December 27th - 31st |
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Berliner | Purchase through Nook Shopping between December 27th - 31st |
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Twelve-Grape Dish | Purchase through Nook Shopping between December 27th - 31st |
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Light Stick | Speak to Isabelle in the plaza before midnight |
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Party Poppers | Speak to Tom Nook in the plaza before midnight |
 |
New Year's Hat | Purchase from Tom Nook in the plaza before midnight |
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New Year's Silk Hat | Purchase from Tom Nook in the plaza before midnight |
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2021 Celebratory Arch | Purchase through Nook Shopping from January 1st - 15th |
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Kadomatsu | Purchase through Nook Shopping from January 1st - 15th |
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Kagamimochi | Purchase through Nook Shopping from January 1st - 15th |
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New Year's Shimekazari | Purchase through Nook Shopping from January 1st - 15th |
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Olivier Salad | Purchase through Nook Shopping from January 1st - 15th |
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Yut Nori | Purchase through Nook Shopping from January 1st - 15th |
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Zodiac Ox Figurine | Purchase through Nook Shopping from January 1st - 15th |
This article is part of our Animal Crossing: New Horizons walkthrough, which includes a Complete Fish List, Complete Bug List and Complete Sea Creatures List. If you're looking for specific fish or bugs, we can tell you how to catch the elusive Coelacanth, Mahi-Mahi, Giant Trevally, Stringfish, Golden Trout and all the Sharks and Beetles, along with a full list of critters leaving at the end of the month (unless you visit Kapp'n's Boat Tour islands, of course!).
We can also help with How to Spot Redd's Fake Paintings and Statues, How to Make Bells Fast, How to Breed Flowers, How to Get more DIY Recipes, How to Upgrade Nook's Cranny, where and when to find special characters like Gulliver, Sable, Label, Wisp, Celeste, Pirate Gulliver and Jack, plus tips on using the Star Wand, Tool Ring, Rock Trick, Cutting Down and Moving Trees, using amiibo on Harv's Island, How to Back Up Your Island Data, How to Time Travel, How to Get a 5-Star Island Rating and a whole lot more.
If it's new content you're looking for help with, we can help you find gyroids, unlock Brewster's café, use the new Pro Camera App for selfies, enact new ordinances, get the beloved Froggy Chair, and even learn How to Cook.
And finally, Where to Buy Animal Crossing: New Horizons on Nintendo Switch, if for some reason you haven't yet picked up the game, and How To Buy The Happy Home Paradise DLC, too!
Comments 26
Some of the pictures aren't lined up correctly in the guide chart. But I'm still excited for these items nonetheless!
My actual New Year Eve celebration will be from ACNH, due to Covid19 pandemic.
@HeyItsFlapjack Sorted. Cheers
@dartmonkey Happy New Year! Guide was very helpful.
@Anti-Matter and ours, the Mrs is really looking forward to coming over to my island to spend new year on AC as we don't have any real life plans.
Cool! Glad to see there's more items than the food ones. That celebratory arch and the Kadomatsuis gonna be fun and useful to have for future use
I'm so excited for new year's eve tomorrow! il be sure to buy some of these things for the new year.
@dartmonkey Bless you, Gav 🙏🏼
Lots of Japanese items and food items. Not really my thing, but I do like they made an arch that says 2021 instead of one that is just more generically made for every year.
I wish the villagers would dress in all-white as is tradition in Brazil, but oh well, at least I will (its due to the Yorubá's religions of Candomblé and Umbanda that Africans brought with them, but nowadays people gloss over that saying it's used to mean "peace". Whitewashing hogwash of course)
@austin_voigt Back at ya
As a US president once said: "Ich bin ein Berliner!"
I think hats are random between accounts, cuz I have the silk top hat this year!
I can’t seem to find a way to get the Silk Hat from Tom Nook... he is just selling the pointed ones in Red, Pink, Green and Purple, as well as the party poppers... any tips??
@ClaytThaGreat It is like that in my game too...
@ClaytThaGreat Apparently, it is random for every game. You'll need to trade with other player to get them this year.
@ClaytThaGreat Same here. No idea. Might be a mistake in this guide.
I'll be celebrating NYE in ACNH because I have no real friends (T_T)
@TimGibson Nothing wrong with that! The pandemic hasn't exactly made it easy to meet new people either and it's always harder to make friends as adults. Just make sure to take good care of yourself regardless!
Looks like the items haven't been updated for this year. There's a 2022 arch now, and the zodiac figure is a tiger.
@JRokujuushi
Oh, thanks for the updated information.
@TimGibson
Me did the same thing.
I celebrated New Year 2022 with my villagers in ACNH.
https://youtu.be/tyc2i_mlWzY
Holy crap. How did I miss the 2021 arch?!
I never liked watching TV to ring in the new year. Years ago we started a tradition of putting all the alarm clocks in the house in the living room and waiting for them to ring. Last year we stopped that and let New Horizons count down the seconds. While only two of us in the family play the game, the others like the vibe.
It was such a pleasant way to ring in the new year (and then we made a great cacophonous noise!)
Happy New Year, gamers!
@dux nobody cares about your political take
@SidSea the word you're looking for is "historical"
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