Guild Wars 2’s Christmas that’s not Christmas

Last year, Rift stuck Christmas decorations all over the place, including presents and Christmas trees out in the open world. It was cute if you’re into the whole “let’s drizzle holiday themes over everything” approach. I don’t recall if there was some sort of Rift fiction about these Christmas trees and presents. I don’t recall much about Rift’s fiction at any rate. And I haven’t played World of Warcraft enough to know whether the winter snowball fights and presents and whatnot have some sort of unique place in Azeroth other than “just because”. I imagine DC Universe will have Christmas in Gotham and Metropolis because Christmas actually exists in the real Gotham and Metropolis.

But I like how ArenaNet’s fictional holidays — which I believe have been carried over from the original Guild Wars — feel like they’ve bubbled up from inside the world of Guild Wars rather than being imposed from the outside simply because of the real world. First there was the Mad King for Halloween, and now there’s the asura Tixx in a massive golem-shaped zeppelin, which will visit various cities before coming to rest at Lion’s Arch. Wintersday — not Christmas, mind you! — starts this weekend. Check out the schedule here, with dates and places for the zeppelin’s tour.