Animal Crossing: New Horizons New Year’s Eve countdown event guide, walkthrough, and rewards

Animal Crossing: New Horizons has a special countdown on New Year’s Eve, and while there aren’t DIYs or other particularly enticing furnishings, celebrating will net you a Nook Mileage reward and a special Light Stick item to cheer with.

Every year on New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31), Isabelle and Tom Nook will have a huge countdown set up in front of Resident Services. That being said, since they’re outside celebrating, Resident Services itself will be closed for the day.

Getting special New Year’s Eve event items in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Speak to Isabelle and she’ll give you a Light Stick, a tool item you can equip to wave around with your villagers closer to midnight. Tom Nook will also give you some Party Poppers. You can buy more if you use them all. Five Party Poppers cost 300 Bells.

There are also special New Year’s Hats available for 500 Bells each. There’s a cone party-hat style and a top-hat style, and both are covered in sequins and “happy new year” text.

There’s also a Nook Mileage reward for celebrating New Year’s Eve in game, which rewards you 1,000 Nook Miles and the titles “Celebratory” and “Merrymaker.”

Participating in the countdown

You don’t have to do anything to start the countdown. The big timer will start ticking loudly at 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 31, and your villagers will all crowd around it to ring in the new year. Once it counts down, fireworks will start going off, lasting until 2 a.m.