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Animal Crossing: New Horizons Turkey Day guide

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Animal Crossing: New Horizons is celebrating the second Turkey Day event this year on November 25. Seasonal events are some of the most exciting reasons to jump back into the game for their unique and time-limited tasks, but mostly for the special rewards you can earn that you otherwise couldn’t get your hands on. With the most recent 2.0 patch and DLC already having been released and marking the end of any substantial additions coming to Animal Crossing: New Horizons, these events are even more important to participate in to keep the game, and your island, feeling fresh.

Turkey Day is a not-too-subtle reference to Thanksgiving but renamed so that players around the world will be able to associate with it. Also, the key new character for Turkey Day is himself a turkey, so the name feels quite appropriate. Last year offered a ton of great rewards for helping to whip up some seasonal dishes, and we expect this year to be quite similar. However, with cooking now being a part of the normal gameplay, there may be a few surprises in store when the 25th rolls around. If you want to get a (turkey) leg up on what to expect from this year’s Turkey Day in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, here’s a full guide on how to prepare.

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Get ready for Turkey Day

If you want to get a jump on Turkey Day, then there are a few things you can do to maximize your time to complete the event once it begins. The most important thing you can do is build up your stock of ingredients, specifically pumpkins. Last year, this fruit was added to the game, and it has the chance of growing in several colors. You’ll want as many of all types — orange, green, yellow, and white — as you can get your hands on for Turkey Day.

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Other ingredients you shouldn’t have much trouble gathering if you don’t have them already are mushrooms, fish, clams, and other various sea creatures, which make up the majority of the recipes you’ll be tasked with filling.

Meet Franklin

Talking to the chef Franklin.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Franklin the turkey is back again, just like on last year’s Turkey Day, as the main chef for the holiday, and he will set up his cooking station just outside the Resident Services building. While it hasn’t been officially confirmed, based on how the event worked last year, once he arrives, you can speak with him to help out with one of the four recipes to cook first. You’ll be able to do them all, as long as you have the time, that is, so don’t worry about which one you get first. Each recipe you complete earns you a non-craftable Turkey Day-themed item, plus eight more do-it-yourself (DIY) recipes if you can add the secret ingredient to all the dishes. Again, assuming this event will follow the same structure as last year, that will result in 12 possible Turkey Day items to earn.

Get ready to trade

It wouldn’t be a true Animal Crossing holiday if the entire village wasn’t participating. You can find many of your villagers cooking their own meals at home and trade them for some of the ingredients you might not have on hand. You won’t know what you’ll get back exactly, but if you can give them whatever type of fish they’re looking for, they will give you an ingredient you’re likely going to need for the event. This can make getting some of the harder-to-get ingredients, like a colored pumpkin or a certain mushroom, much easier if you don’t have any ready. You can also trade fish to villagers to learn hints about what the secret ingredient to Franklin’s dishes could be. You’re not required to trade for any ingredients, all can be gathered on your own, but again, trading may be more convenient.

The recipes and rewards

Franklin saying to get started cooking.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Cooking is the primary event for this holiday as you help Franklin whip up a delicious meal for your entire village. Based on last year’s feast, there are four recipes Franklin has on the menu that you’ll need to provide the ingredients for. He won’t actually spell out what you need to get, instead just giving you hints, so you could end up wasting time if you can’t figure out what he needs. Here are all the full recipes, including the secret ingredients you can add to them for the additional DIY item recipe bonuses.

Pumpkin Pie

  • 1 orange pumpkin
  • 1 yellow, green, or white pumpkin
  • Secret ingredient: 2 colored pumpkins that haven’t been requested yet

The reward for this recipe is the Turkey Day Wall.

Clam Chowder

  • 3 manila clams
  • Secret ingredient: 1 scallop

Whip up this delicious dish for a nice Turkey Day Rug.

Gratin

The final two recipes are actually slightly altered depending on which hemisphere you live in. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, the recipe for Gratin is as follows:

  • 1 mussel
  • 1 flat, round, or skinny mushroom
  • 1 oyster
  • Secret ingredient: 1 Dungeness crab

If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, the recipe will be:

  • 1 squid
  • 1 sea urchin
  • Secret ingredient: 1 Dungeness crab

A successful Gratin will earn you the Turkey Day Flooring.

Fish Meuniere

The Northern Hemisphere recipe is:

  • 1 sea bass
  • 1 olive flounder, red snapper, or dab
  • Secret ingredient: 1 Barred knifejaw

For everyone in the Southern Hemisphere, the recipe will be:

  • 1 sea bass
  • 1 olive flounder or red snapper
  • Secret ingredient: 1 Barred knifejaw

Gather up all these fish to unlock the Cornucopia.

DIY recipe rewards

Getting a reward from Franklin.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The other eight rewards you can get for adding the right special ingredient to Franklin’s dishes are given out at random, unlike the non-craftable rewards. After a dish is completed for the first time, they are put on display where you can add in the secret ingredient. Each one you add correctly earns you one of the following rewards, with the final four all being added if you can add them all. Franklin won’t actually hand you these recipes as an item like normal. Instead, they are placed directly into your NookPhone, so make sure to check that you received them there. It is also important to note that these final eight rewards are not exclusive to this one-day event. Unlike the four rewards for completing the base dishes, you can purchase the Cozy Turkey Day DIY collection from Nook’s Cranny for 19,800 bells for the rest of this month. The collection holds all eight recipes, so don’t feel too rushed to go the extra mile.

  • Turkey Day Chair
  • Turkey Day Table
  • Turkey Day Decorations
  • Turkey Day Casserole
  • Turkey Day Garden Stand
  • Turkey Day Table Setting
  • Turkey Day Hearth
  • Turkey Day Wheat Decor

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