Sims 3 Christmas

No. You can host a gift-giving party though where a pile of gifts appears on the floor and guests deposits their presents into it. Then you all sit around and unwrap them.

Well, it's not like Christmas-Christmas... it's simlish. We actually get a day called Snowflake Day. I would assume this would be Chistmas-like. On that day, everyone is friendlier to each other, no school or work and it happens near the end of the Winter. As for the tree and such, you might find them as items and as well decorate your house to fit in the atmosphere but it really doesn't add much to it. Also, by clicking the front door, you can decorate your house with Christmas lights (automatically).

However, there is a new type of party available, the Gift Giving Party. Let's say something like Christmas- New Year themed. You can invite people over, and they will bring their gifts in. Then, automatically, 2 hours after the start of the party, people with gather arounf and open the presents. Here, a Christmas tree would be appropriate. You can manually force the gift opening thing yourself before 2 hours have passed OR you can ask everyone to leave the party, and therefore keeping all the gifts to yourself.

Lady ElDi wrote:I think it's appropriate that it's not called Christmas (or Halloween for that matter) since not everyone celebrates Christmas. It may seem rather weird to most of us, but in some countries they simply don't celebrate Christmas because they're not Christians. And yes I know Atheists celebrate Christmas, though with a different spirit, but Hindu's, Buddhists and Muslims do not. And these people do play The Sims (3) and other games.
I also believe Halloween is a typical American custom. I had never heard of it until I started watching tv shows like "Friends" in the 90's and though it has gained popularity in this country, I'm always surprised to see people putting up Halloween decorations and I certainly wouldn't be prepared for groups of kids "trick or treat"-ing. I believe it's more for the adults here, the costume parties are popular, apparently.

Well I will have to disagree with that here. Even though it's true some people do not celebrate Christmas, the lights decoration on the house and the gift giving party hint Christmas or at least New Year celebration. I don't think other religions/nations celebrate during the winter having such traditions. The whole thing during the winter in the game implies Christmas and New Year in my eyes and most of people's eyes apparently.

As for the Halloween, I claim the same. A custom themed day and trick or treating during the fall, certainly imply for halloween. Other nations may not celebrate it, inclufing my country, but it's tradition, Trick or Treat and Costumes is halloween themed.

Winther have always been a time of peace and celebration throughout time and way before Christ. Christmas Eve is actually not the birthday of Christ, but choosen be cause of former celebrations of other beliefs and traditions.

It's actually quite logically that no man wanted to go to war when the blizzard was storming with snow and so on way back in the very, very old days - poor people not knowing a warm cup of coffee - and since some was stupid enough to do so every clan and alike decided to declare winther periode for a time of peace and celebration rememebering the good times in the summer with warmth and food all around, which there was lack of in the winther since animals went south for the periode and crops were nowhere to be found untill spring.

What is amazing here is that every tribe and race that had winther did this throughout the world. And I do believe that other cultures did the same, but for other reasons like the suns cycle. Praying for its return.

And for Halloween we in Denmark have something similar called Fastelavn, but it's after X-Mas and still in the dark periode of the seasons and I do believe other cultures have the same thing - like Mexicans their celebration Day of The Dead. Just to mention another celebration alike. The greenlandics have a day similar but this isn't about dead people, but scary spirits that tricks humans. This like the winther celebration I think also could be found in every culture. Similar celebrations but different names but still in the winther periode. And I do believe that counts for both giftgiving and dressing up and asks for treats.

Well my point is, when the game was designed, EA staff was PROBABLY thinking when making these celebrations the traditional Christmas and Halloween. They even mention it in one of their Guru's walkthrough.
But they of course gave different names to them for the reasons you guys mentioned. Because anyone can take it their way, no confusions or misunderstandings or any kind of racism. So making it simlish day was indeed the best deal.

But a fact, Halloween is the most popular costume day in the world (might be done mainly in america but EVERYONE knows about it one way or another) and christianity is the most spread religion in the world. So pretty much, I think they had those two in mind when making the particular ones, without overseeing of ignoring all other traditions and religions. Simlish version of these celebrations were the right thing to do and EA knew it.