Pokemon Go Holidays 2021 Part 1 guide: Postcard Book, new costumes & wild encounters

Daniel Megarry
A poster for Pokemon Go Holidays 2021 Collection Challenge

Pokemon Go is celebrating the festive season with a two-part Holidays 2021 event. Part 1 will introduce a new Postcard Book feature, Christmas-themed costumes, and wild spawns.

It’s the most magical time of the year, and Niantic are making sure everyone’s got something to celebrate with their Pokemon Go Holidays 2021 event. Split into two parts, the even will feature the debut of Bergmite and the return of Holiday costumes.

Below, you’ll find everything you need to know about Part 1 of the Holidays 2021 event in Pokemon Go, from the Ice-type Pokemon you can encounter in the wild to the rewards you’ll get from completing Field Research tasks.


Contents


New Holidays 2021 event avatar items for Pokemon GO
There will be new Holiday-themed avatar items in the shop.

Pokemon Go Holidays 2021 Part 1 start date & time

Part 1 of the Pokemon Go Holidays 2021 event begins on Thursday, December 16, 2021, at 10am and runs until Thursday, December 23, 2021, at 10am local time.

Part 2 of the Holidays 2021 event will then begin and run until December 31.

Pokemon Go Holidays 2021 Part 1 wild encounters

The following Pokemon are available as wild encounters during Part 1 of the Holidays 2021 event:

  • Alolan Sandshrew – rare
  • Cryogonal – rare
  • Cubchoo (Holiday)
  • Delibird (Holiday)
  • Pikachu (Holiday Hat)
  • Snorunt
  • Snover
  • Spheal (Holiday)
  • Stantler (Holiday)
  • Swinub
  • Vanillite
Pikachu wearing a Holidays Hat in Pokemon Go
Holiday-themed costume Pokemon are returning.

Pokemon Go Holidays 2021 Part 1 Field Research encounters

There will be a series of event-exclusive Field Research tasks to unlock during Part 1 of the Holidays 2021 event by spinning PokeStops or Gym Photo Discs, with festive Pokemon encounters as rewards.

Here are the Pokemon you can encounter as Field Research rewards:

  • Alolan Vulpix
  • Cryogonal – rare
  • Cubchoo (Holiday)
  • Pikachu (Holiday Hat)
  • Spheal (Holiday)
  • Stantler (Holiday)
  • Swinub

Pokemon Go Holidays 2021 Part 1 Raid Bosses

The following Raid Bosses are available during Part 1 of the Holidays 2021 event:

Raid Pokemon
1-Star Raids Alolan Sandshrew
Cubchoo (Holiday)
Pikachu (Holiday)
Spheal (Holiday)
Swinub
3-Star Raids Cloyster
Delibird (Holiday)
Glaceon (Holiday)
Stantler (Holiday)
5-Star Raids Kyurem
Mega Raids Steelix

Pokemon Go Holidays 2021 Part 1 bonuses

The following bonuses will be available throughout the Holidays 2021 event:

  • Open up to 45 Gifts per day, and hold up to 40 Gifts in your Item Bag.
  • Mega Abomasnow will get a CP boost during event hours.
  • Team GO Rocket Grunts will have more Water- and Ice-type Pokémon.
  • New festive avatar items will be available from the in-game shop.
  • Get holiday-themed stickers by spinning PokéStops and opening Gifts.
The Holiday Cup logo in Pokemon Go
Up for a festive challenge? Try the Holiday Cup!

The Holiday Cup returns to the Go Battle League

As an extra special treat for competitive Trainers, the Holiday Cup will be returning to the Go Battle League on December 16, 2021, at 1pm PST.

In this festive cup, only Normal, Grass, Electric, Ice, Flying, and Ghost-type Pokémon are permitted, and there’s a limit of 1500 CP, so you’ll need to think carefully before you create your dream team.

We’ve got a guide to the best Pokemon to use in the Holiday Cup, so make sure you check that out before entering.

A new Postcard Book feature debuts

As part of the Holidays 2021 event, Niantic are introducing a new Postcard Book feature. With this, Trainers will be able to save postcards received from Gifts as a memento of their friendship.

You’ll be able to access the Postcard Book from your Item Bag or Trainer Profile when the feature goes live on December 16, 2021.

That’s everything you need to know about Part 1 of the Holidays 2021 event! Find details of Part 2 here, and make sure you check out our Pokemon Go home page for all the latest news.

About The Author

Daniel graduated from university with a degree in Journalism and English Language, before spending five years at GAY TIMES covering LGBTQ+ news and entertainment. He then made the switch to video game journalism where he produces news, features, and guides for Pokemon, Fortnite, Nintendo, and PlayStation games. Daniel also has a passion for any games with queer representation.