No matter what challenges the year brings, the holiday season always offers the promise of hope, peace, and love. But as festivities conclude and the pages are turned on another year, joyous celebrations quickly become distant memories. Ornaments return to their boxes, strands of decorative lights are stowed away in attics, and holiday cheer prepares for another year-long slumber.
As the winter lingers and springtime transitions into the dog days of summer, the magic of Yuletide carol often feels so far away. Until then, we are left to find our own opportunities to fill the almanac with excitement and joy. Even if our search is fruitless, we must not lose hope. For no matter how dire the circumstance, the holiday season is permanently etched into every calendar year. Such is the story of a fringe character from Oracle of Seasons: Holly.
After retrieving the Rod of Seasons and earning the Power of Winter in the Temple of Seasons, Link sets out for Snake’s Remains. To reach the dungeon, our hero must traverse the Woods of Winter, which ironically suffers from an endless summer heatwave. The path to Snake’s Remains is blocked and in need of excavation, and Link’s only clue is a boarded-up house with a sign outside that reads “Santa Welcome!!!” Knowing the rotund fellow enjoys a chilly winter’s evening, Link finds a nearby tree stump and uses the newly acquired rod to change the season to winter.
Upon returning to the peculiar home, Link encounters yet another obstacle: The front door remains blocked as mounds of snow have replaced the summertime barricades. In desperate need of an alternative solution, the hero steals a page right out of Old Saint Nick’s book and climbs down the chimney.
As Link crashes into the fireplace of the desolate abode, he is greeted by a rather frightened and strange girl named Holly. In a state of complete shock and horror, Holly skittishly proclaims, “AHH!!! You startled me! Winter sets in all of a sudden, then down my chimney comes… You’re not Santa!”
Although the interaction is brief, Link’s dialogue with Holly provides mountains of insight into her personality, hopes, and dreams. With the Woods of Winter permanently engulfed in an endless summer, we do not know how long Holly had waited for the warmth of Christmas cheer. Was it weeks? Months? Did the perpetual summer heat cause her to lose track of time? Had she lost all hope?
Regardless of how long Holly had been waiting, the sudden change from summer to winter likely rekindled her eagerness for Yuletide cheer. Although our hero meant no harm, Link’s sudden impersonation of Santa Claus elevated Holly’s spirits to new heights while also shattering her excitement. (Side note: If Link is going to imitate the star of Christmas night, the least he could do is exchange the green cap for a more festive design. May we suggest one with a little more crimson hue?)
Exacerbated yet resolved, Holly feels as though Link owes her a favor as a result of the mishap. The spunky side of her personality shines through as she quickly employs Link to shovel the walkway. In exchange for the chore, Holly graciously lends our hero the very tool needed to reach Snake’s Remains: the Shovel.
As Link exits the house, I could not help but wonder if Holly would despair. Much to my surprise, revisiting the quiet abode proves otherwise. Holly is delighted that the walkway is clear, and she even offers a helpful tip for locating buried treasure. Although the encounter with Link was startling and unexpected, perhaps the little misunderstanding was just the excitement that Holly needed to tide her over until Christmas.
Now if you will please excuse me, I, too, need to shovel my walkway because snowfall covered my home last night for the first time in years. While the chore was initially frustrating, the similarity with Holly’s story eventually brought a huge smile to my face. Although Christmas is still so far away, Holly and I were both able to find joy in the unexpected.
