Festivals in Stardew Valley are once-a-year events that offer unique items, dialogues, and activities to take part in. The Feast of the Winter Star is one of two festivals that take place in Winter, the other being the Festival of Ice.
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The Feast of the Winter Star is the last major festival of the year in Stardew Valley, and it's one of the simplest. There are no special activities like Ice Fishing or using your strength to hit a bell. Instead, the Feast of the Winter Star is all about sharing and gift-giving, and celebrating the year's events together.
Updated May 6, 2025 by Erik Petrovich: There seems to be no end to major Stardew Valley updates, even now nearly ten years since the game launched. Among the many 1.6 patch notes, players may have noticed some updates to the Feast of the Winter Star event. Stardew Valley festivals are always worth checking out, and thanks to the changes to the event in the 1.6 update, the Feast of the Winter Star is even better than before. This guide to the Feast of the Winter Star in Stardew Valley has been updated to include the changes to the festival in the 1.6 update, as well as to clarify some other details about Stardew Valley's very own version of Christmas.
It Takes Place On 25 Winter Each Year, From 9am To 2pm
The Feast of the Winter Star is clearly the Stardew Valley version of Christmas, which takes place on the 25th of December each year. Typically, friends and family exchange gifts on Christmas, as with many wintery holidays. However, the Secret Santa gift exchange is unique to this one in particular, and Stardew Valley incorporates this tradition
The Feast of the Winter Star likely takes place on the 25th of the Winter season because of this association with Christmas. It also works as a good holiday to wrap up all the others in the year. Other festivals focus on winning a competition of some kind; however, the Feast of the Winter Star is a good chance to catch up with the townspeople and slow things down a bit.
The Main Attraction Is The Secret Gift-Giving Ceremony...
The gift exchange in the Feast of the Winter Star is all the talk of Pelican town in the weeks approaching the festival. Everyone wonders what they will receive, and who their secret gift-giver is. There's not much else to talk about in Winter, after all.
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The festival automatically ends when the gift-giving ceremony is over, placing the player back at their house at 10 p.m. Be sure to feed any animals on the farm before heading to the festival, or it'll be much harder finishing all the chores for the day upon returning.
...And You Find Out Your Recipient Ahead Of Time
Pay attention to the mail in the days approaching the Feast of the Winter Star. Just like most real-life Secret Santa arrangements, the player won't be able to choose who they get a gift for, nor can they choose who to receive a gift from.
Lewis will send you a letter in the mail that tells you who your "secret friend" is. Talk to them in the next few days, look up their likes and loves, and come prepared on 25 Winter to dazzle them with your gift.
On 24 Winter, triple-check that you have your Secret Santa recipient's secret gift in your inventory. There's nothing worse than showing up to the Feast of the Winter Star and realizing that you forgot your gift.
Gifts Increase Friendship Five Times More Than Usual
It's important to choose a gift that the recipient will love for the Feast of the Winter Star gift exchange. It has a much larger impact on friendship than usual, five times the normal effect. This means that loved gifts are extremely effective for raising the player's relationship with that character.
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If you are lucky enough to get your first-choice marriage candidate as your secret recipient, choosing the right gift makes it when relationships are so much easier to build can help initiate a relationship with them. Come the Flower Dance, players will likely have made enough of an impact for a "yes" to a dance.
The Player Receives A Random Gift Too
The Feast of the Winter Star isn't just about fleecing the player's character for all they are worth. They can also expect to receive something at this festival. However, while players can look up wiki entries and online information to find their recipients' most wanted gift, in-game NPCs do not have such a luxury.
The player may receive one of a multitude of items. These range from an Iridium Bar to a Blackberry Cobbler to something as useless and common as Wood. Each townsperson has their own unique set of possible gifts, so if players can't stand the anticipation, they can simply look up what they are likely to receive.
Pierre Sells Winter-Themed Goods & Decorations
Pierre often sets up a stall at festivals in Stardew Valley, and each time sells items related to the day's theme. For the Feast of the Winter Star, Pierre will sell classically winter-themed items such as the 
Tree of the Winter Star, a 
Festive Dining Table, a Decorative Pine Tree, and even a special window.
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As of the Stardew Valley 1.6 update, Pierre's stall at the Feast of the Winter Star now includes a selection of random items, at a markup, in addition to his standard array of Feast of the Winter Star-exclusive items. These include special items like Powdermelon, Frozen Tear, and Fire Quartz, as well as regular items like Perch, Cave Carrot, and Clam.
Remember to save up money in advance to afford some of fun, decorative items. It's not a good feeling to be a little bit short and then have to wait an entire year to see the items again.
Santa Can Be Seen In The 24 Winter Shipping Screen
When shipping items in Stardew Valley, the screen is typically the same every night. There's a starry background, a list of the profits from goods, and a transition sequence to the next day. Keep an eye on the background of the profit screen, though, for a special visitor on 24 Winter.
As you look over your profits from sold goods on the night of 24 Winter, Santa himself will fly across the screen, pulled by his reindeer on a sleigh. If you don't sell anything in your Shipping Box on 24 Winter, you might miss this secret, but unlike some secrets players can find in the game, Santa doesn't influence your game; it's purely for fun. You will not see Santa if you end the day having only sold goods to the General Store, you must use the Shipping Box.
Stardew Valley
- Released
- February 26, 2016
