Feast of Winter Veil

The Feast of Winter Veil is World of Warcraft's Christmas, held from mid-December to the start of January. It was the game's first holiday, added in patch 1.2 for December 2004, only weeks after launch. In Classic, goblin merchants from Smokywood Pastures set up shop in Ironforge and Orgrimmar, Greatfather Winter took holiday wishes beside a decorated tree, players chased a yeti thief and a kidnapped reindeer, and on Christmas morning there were presents under the tree for everyone.

Background

Winter Veil is an old feast of the dwarves and the tauren, who both tell of a spirit of winter: the dwarves call him Greatfather Winter, and the tauren have their own Great-father Winter, who brings the snow that lets the land rest. In the game, the holiday's modern face belongs to the goblin company Smokywood Pastures, which sells treats and dresses a man in a red suit as Greatfather Winter, much to the annoyance of the old storytellers.

Two lore quests make that point. In The Reason for the Season, Goli Krumn in Ironforge sends players to Historian Karnik, who hands over a book on the feast's history to take to Magni Bronzebeard in The Feast of Winter Veil. On the Horde side, Furmund in Thunder Bluff grumbles about goblins and gifts in The Reason for the Season and sends players to Sagorne Creststrider, whose book goes to Cairne Bloodhoof in The Feast of Winter Veil.

Greatfather Winter and Smokywood Pastures

The holiday's hub stood in the Commons of Ironforge and the Valley of Strength in Orgrimmar, each with a tall decorated tree, Greatfather Winter on a big chair, and a row of Smokywood Pastures vendors such as Wulmort Jinglepocket and Kaymard Copperpinch. Quests from the vendors, like Greatfather Winter is Here! and Great-father Winter is Here!, simply introduced players to him.

The vendors sold festive goods:

• Snowballs to throw at other players, and [Fake Mistletoe].
• Candy Canes, [Holiday Spices] and [Holiday Spirits].
• Two cooking recipes, [Recipe: Gingerbread Cookie] and [Recipe: Egg Nog], and wrapping paper for gifts.

Greatfather Winter himself had a small favor to ask. In Treats for Greatfather Winter (Alliance) and Treats for Great-father Winter (Horde), he wanted five Gingerbread Cookies and an [Ice Cold Milk], and paid with a [Smokywood Pastures Gift Pack].

The Abominable Greench and Metzen

For players of level 30 and up, Smokywood Pastures had a problem: a shipment of treats and the agent sent to find it had both gone missing in the snowy hills of Alterac Mountains. In Stolen Winter Veil Treats or Stolen Winter Veil Treats, players found that agent as a Strange Snowman, frozen into shape by the thief. The culprit was The Abominable Greench, a big green yeti who wandered among the Alterac yetis. Killing him in You're a Mean One... or You're a Mean One... returned the [Stolen Treats], and Greatfather Winter thanked the hero in A Smokywood Pastures' Thank You! with a [Smokywood Pastures Special Gift]. It held one festive recipe, such as [Pattern: Green Holiday Shirt], [Plans: Edge of Winter], [Formula: Enchant Weapon - Winter's Might] or [Schematic: Snowmaster 9000], and a [Winter Veil Disguise Kit] arrived in the mail soon after.

A second chain, at level 40, was added later in the original game. In Metzen the Reindeer and Metzen the Reindeer, Metzen the Reindeer, one of Greatfather Winter's eight reindeer, had been kidnapped, and two ransom letters pointed in different directions: one to the Dark Iron dwarves of Searing Gorge, the other to Tanaris. Freeing him with a [Pouch of Reindeer Dust] earned five sprigs of [Preserved Holly], which gave the user's mount a festive reindeer look for a while. Master cooks could make more in The Hero of the Day.

Presents under the tree

On the morning of December 25, piles of presents appeared under the trees in Ironforge and Orgrimmar, each one a quest that gave the matching gift. They were added in patch 1.8.4:

The capitals also had the PX-238 Winter Wondervolt, a machine run by a Wonderform Operator that turned anyone who stepped inside into a little gnome or goblin helper.

Later history

• The holiday has returned every year since, adding pets, toys and daily quests, and the goblin vendors have stayed.
• In World of Warcraft Classic, the Feast of Winter Veil runs in its 2005 form, with the Greench, Metzen and the presents.

Sources

• Feast of Winter Veil, Warcraft Wiki
• Smokywood Pastures Special Gift, Warcraft Wiki
• Ticking Present, Warcraft Wiki
• All the in-game holidays that are part of WoW Classic, Blizzard Watch