I know that it is a little early to start thinking about the festive season, but, since we missed Oktoberfest, we had better start planning Christmas very soon indeed.
Neufreistadt, of course, has the perfect theme for Christmas, especially since it was originally built for a snow themed area. Sudane has said that it is easy to have snow on the ground, but that it takes a lot of work to replace all the trees with snowy trees, and that holders of private lots have to co-opreate with the trees on those lots, too. Sudane said that, last year, the snow was set to fall on the 1st of December.
I know that a lot of people are very busy, so perhaps we should organise a snow taskforce of lots of people each replacing a few non-snowy trees with snowy trees, since trees with snow look so lovely. I should be prepared to do a few trees, as long as others were also willing to assist.
We should also have a big decorated Christmas tree in the Platz, and perhaps some decorations on other public buildings such as the Rathaus and the info shop. Perhaps some of the music tracks in some of the public buildings could be changed to something more festive, too. A chestnut brazier could perhaps replace the beer keg in the Platz, and the Anzere infohub could perhaps also be so decorated.
Individual citizens could perhaps be encouraged to decorate their individual homes and shops, perhaps by using the (currently empty) resident vendor to give away free Christmas deocrations to citizens (any volunteers to make any? I could make a few baubals, although my building skills are somewhat basic). Also, it would be lovely if someone could develop a Christmas present script so that one could have a parcel object (a box with a Christmas paper texture) that, when touched by the owner on or after the 25th of December, but not before, dispenses some other object that constitutes the present. Sudane has suggested that I IM Garnet Psaltry about that, and am about to do so.
Also, we should have some Christmas themed events. The newly-formed CDS Players could, perhaps, consider a festively themed play, and the church group might want to think about a carol service. A Christmas ball would also be delightful (perhaps at a time compatible with those of us who live in Europe, this time?) Now, we just need to find somebody to dress up as Father Christmas (Santa Claus for all you Americans)...
For new year, we could celebrate that in Colonia Nova (new year, after all, being a pegal festival), with fireworks by the river, a party, and special events at the arena.
Any volunteers for doing or organising any of these things, or any other such ideas? We could give ourselves a great deal of favourable publicity by having Christmas themed events, and by making Neufreistadt even more charming than it already is for the festive season.