I'm pretty sure the wayshrines are decorated for the NLF. I saw one myself in Blackwood

Earlier this week when I was zoning into Leyawiin I briefly saw the decorations, they lasted a few seconds, and then disappeared. It’s kind of like how sometimes when a companion is summoned they are in their skivvies until their outfit shows up.

Some of the taverns have external decorations also. A little too muted in my opinion.

The first one I noticed was the decorated cookies on the table in Davon Watch's Inn (The Watch House).

vsrs_au wrote: »

Personally, I play ESO to temporarily escape from real life (which I'm pretty unhappy with), so to see Earth decorations displayed in Nirn is a bit unsettling. I realise Christmas is a big deal to many people, but does it have to be shown in the game?

P.S. This is not an anti-Christmas or anti-religious post, by the way, I just happen to think that the game and real life should be separate, so please don't flame me for politely expressing an opinion.

You can still immerse yourself in the elder scrolls world during events. Just like how Witches Festival is in celebration of Hollowjack, New Life and Saturalia (not Saturnalia) have lore reasons for existing. New Life festivities vary by culture, as we learn from the event quests. Saturalia is a Sanguine holiday. I don’t really consider elder scrolls holidays of this time of year to be Christmas at all. After all, there’s not the same religions as we have IRL. Hope this doesn’t come across as flaming, I mean it as a suggestion to try reframing the event into something that can still bring you peace by rooting you to the elder scrolls experience.

vsrs_au wrote: »

Personally, I play ESO to temporarily escape from real life (which I'm pretty unhappy with), so to see Earth decorations displayed in Nirn is a bit unsettling. I realise Christmas is a big deal to many people, but does it have to be shown in the game?

P.S. This is not an anti-Christmas or anti-religious post, by the way, I just happen to think that the game and real life should be separate, so please don't flame me for politely expressing an opinion.

New Life is part of the game and is decorated similar to Christmas since jump. Lots of things from Elder Scrolls have real world influences.

First, I want to express my appreciation for the added decorations during both the Witches Festival and New Life events this year!

Second, I wanted to make a suggestion: Since New Life is celebrated in very different ways across Tamriel, wouldn’t it make sense for the traditional decorations to differ as well? While I don’t know the geographical history of the tradition and symbolism irl, it would make sense to me that the evergreen might be especially meaningful in lands where most trees are not, lands with long cold winters, like Skyrim. I would think tropical regions might have different symbols in celebrating the solstice and the New Year. And then there are considerations specific to Tamriel that should be important — surely the Bosmer of Valenwood wouldn’t use plant cuttings in their traditions and decorations!

I feel like this would make the event feel more immersive, a Tamriel holiday that does not look so strongly like one particular irl holiday, which likewise might be helpful and more inclusive for those with negative associations with that holiday or who celebrate other holidays.