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News: No Season 3 Until After Thanksgiving
November 14th, 2007 by Magog ·

In a post this morning, Drysc announced that Season 3 will be delayed one week due to the Thanksgiving holidays. Season 3 will now begin after maintenance the week after on November 27. Sounds like a good call. More time to farm honor, eat turkey and do some Black Friday shopping.

Read more for the 2.3 patch notes.

World of Warcraft Patch 2.3.0 - PvP Specific
(full notes here)

General
• All items have had their bonuses to Weapon Skill Rating converted to a new stat called Weapon Expertise Rating. Each point of Weapon Expertise reduces the chance for your attacks to be dodged or parried by .25%.
• Healing reduction effects will now affect all health drain spells and abilities (e.g. Mortal Strike will reduce health gained from Drain Life).
• Healing: Almost all items and enchantments that provide bonus healing now also provide a smaller number (approximately 1/3) of bonus spell damage. There are a few items and enchantments where this was not possible, such as random-stat items and Zul’Gurub enchantments, but this is now the case on virtually all other items.
• On Kill Effects: Items and abilities that trigger on killing an enemy will no longer trigger on using an ability that kills your pet.
• Weapon Skill: All items and abilities that granted weapon skill have been changed. In most cases, they were converted to expertise or expertise rating. Ranged attacks do not benefit from expertise, so ranged weapon skill has generally been replaced by critical strike bonuses or hit bonuses. In a few cases, talents have been changed to other effects to avoid granting players excessive amounts of expertise.
• Players no longer gain the moving AOE radius bonus if they are jumping.
• Client spell cast requests are now sent to the server even if your player is already casting another spell. This eliminates the need for /stopcasting in macros to compensate for latency.

Racial Abilities
• Dwarf: Gun Specialization now increases chance to critically hit with Guns by 1% rather than increasing weapon skill.
• Gnome: Escape Artist cooldown increased to 1 min, 45 sec.
• Humans: Mace Skill now increases the critical strike chance with maces and two-handed maces by 1%.
• Humans: Sword Skill now increases the critical strike chance with swords and two-handed swords by 1%.
• Orcs: Axe Skill now increases the critical strike chance with axes and two-handed axes by 1%.
• Troll: Bow and Thrown Specialization now increases chance to critically hit with those weapons by 1% rather than increasing weapon skill.

PvP

Arenas
• The top ranked team of each battlegroup for each format will receive a new unique title for the end of Season 2 called “Merciless Gladiator”.

Battlegrounds
• Daily quests have been added targeting a random battleground for that day. Look for Alliance Brigadier Generals and Horde Warbringers near your faction’s battlemasters in all major capitals.
• Dropping the Flag in a battleground will now result in a debuff that will not allow you to pick up the flag again for 3 seconds.
• Druids who are shapeshifted when they receive the Restoration buff from battlegrounds will now correctly regenerate mana.
• Players will now be able to cast spells for free in the Battleground before it begins.
• Players will now be able to cast spells for free for a few seconds after being resurrected by a Spirit Guide in the Battleground.

Alterac Valley
• Additional Warmasters no longer report for duty upon destroying an enemy tower. However, destroying an enemy tower still eliminates the associated opposing Warmaster.
• All Warmasters are linked to each other and their respective Generals and can no longer be pulled individually.
• Honor from capturing towers has been increased.
• All Commanders and Lieutenants have left Alterac Valley in search for other battle opportunities.
• Players will no longer be sent to their starting tunnels on death unless that team controls no graveyards in the battleground.
• Many NPCs in Stormpike and Frostwolf holds are no longer elite
• Bonus Honor in Alterac Valley is now only awarded during the battle for destroying enemy towers and slaying the enemy Captain. Upon conclusion of the battle, bonus honor is also awarded for intact towers, a surviving Captain, and for victory in the battle. The total bonus honor awarded should be similar to the previous total.
• The Horde and Alliance now have a limited number of reinforcements available in the battle for Alterac Valley. The number of reinforcements available is reduced upon player death, loss of towers, and death of Captain Galvangar or Balinda Stonehearth. In addition, all available reinforcements are lost upon the death of General Drek’Thar or Vanndar Stormpike. If a team is reduced to zero reinforcements, the opposing team wins the battle.
• Towers and Graveyards in Alterac Valley are now captured in 4 minutes (down from 5).

Eye of the Storm
• The points awarded from capturing the flag in Eye of the Storm is now increase based on the number of bases the capturing team owns.

Warsong Gulch, Arathi Basin, Eye of the Storm
• Additional bonus honor is now awarded upon conclusion of the battle.

Druids
• Barkskin: It is no longer possible to cast this spell while Cycloned.
• Challenging Roar: The chance for this ability to land successfully on its targets is now increased by hit rating.
• Cure Poison and Abolish Poison are now usable in Tree of Life Form.
• Cure Poison, Abolish Poison and Remove Curse range increased to 40 yards.
• Entangling Roots: It is no longer possible for multiple Druids to have Entangling Roots on the same target. In addition, it will now always be removed correctly if multiple Druids overwrite each other’s Entangling Roots.
• Entangling Roots: This ability will no longer be overwritten when the new Entangling Roots would do less damage.
• Feral Attack Power: Items that granted bonus attack power in Cat, Bear, Dire Bear, and Moonkin forms have been re-evaluated. In almost all cases, the attack power on the item has been increased. This change corrects an issue where feral weapon damage was not keeping up with other classes in its rate of increase.
• Feral Charge: It is now possible for the interrupt and root effects from this ability to be resisted separately.
• Force of Nature: This ability will no longer automatically break stealth on victims in its casting area. Nearby stealthed characters may still be attacked if they are too close to the summoned Treants.
• Growl: The chance for this ability to land successfully on its target is now increased by hit rating.
• Heart of the Wild: This talent no longer provides 4/8/12/16/20% bonus Strength in Cat Form. Instead it provides 2/4/6/8/10% bonus attack power.
• Hibernate: This spell will now always be removed correctly if multiple Druids overwrite each other’s Hibernate.
• Intensity (Restoration) increased to 10/20/30% mana regeneration.
• Natural Perfection (Restoration) - Now also grants the Natural Perfection effect after being critically hit, reducing all damage taken by 1/3/5% for 8 seconds. Stacks up to 3 times.
• Natural Perfection: This talent can now trigger while the Druid is sitting.
• Primal Fury: This talent will now be learned correctly even if purchased while the Druid is dead.
• Rebirth cooldown reduced to 20 minutes, from 30 minutes.
• Remove Curse is now usable in Moonkin Form.
• Shapeshifting Spells: Some of these spells were causing additional unintended threat. That additional unintended threat has been removed.
• Soothe Animal: This spell now properly consumes Nature’s Swiftness.
• Tranquility now gains additional benefit from spell damage and healing bonuses.
• Tree of Life: It is no longer possible to have the bonus healing aura from this ability while not actually in Tree of Life Form.
• If you are in a shapeshift form and try to use an ability that may only be used in caster form, you will leave the form and use that ability. This means that you can shift from one form to another in one action. If you don’t have mana to shift form, you will get an error message and remain in your current form. This can be disabled with /console autoUnshift 0

Hunters
• Aimed Shot (Marksmanship) now reduces healing done to that target by 50% for 10 seconds, shot time reduced by 0.5 seconds.
• Arcane Shot (Ranks 6 and above) now dispel 1 Magic effect in addition to their normal damage.
• Explosive Trap: The initial damage dealt by this trap is now also increased by 10% of your ranged attack power.
• Expose Weakness: The triggered effect from this talent will no longer use up charges of Misdirection.
• Immolation Trap: The total damage dealt by this trap is now also increased by 10% of your ranged attack power.
• Misdirection: This spell will now always be removed correctly if multiple Hunters overwrite each other’s Misdirection.
• Misdirection: If a Hunter attempts to use this ability on a target which already has an active Misdirection, the spell will fail to apply due to a more powerful spell already being in effect. This will not trigger the cooldown or cost any mana.
• Readiness: This talent now finishes the cooldown on Kill Command.
• Serpent Sting, Immolation Trap and Explosive Trap all gain additional damage based on ranged attack power.
• Serpent Sting: The total damage dealt by this sting is now also increased by 10% of your ranged attack power.
• Steady Shot: Tooltip clarified to indicate base weapon damage is used in the damage calculation.
• Trueshot Aura (Marksmanship) no longer costs mana to cast and will last until cancelled.
• Wyvern Sting (Survival) is now instant cast and has a maximum duration of 10 seconds in PvP.
• Wyvern Sting: This ability will no longer be overwritten by lower ranks of Wyvern Sting.

Mages
• Arcane Intellect and Arcane Brilliance mana costs reduced.
• Arcane Meditation (Arcane) increased to 10/20/30% mana regeneration.
• Arcane Missiles: Players will no longer get strange error messages when casting this spell at evading targets. The spell will simply fail.
• Detect Magic removed. All players may now see their target’s beneficial effects at all times.
• Evocation now regenerates 15% of total mana every 2 seconds rather than increase Spirit based regeneration.
• Fire Ward and Frost Ward now gain additional benefit from spell damage bonuses. Base absorb values of ranks 5 and 6 have been reduced.
• Ice Barrier now gains additional benefit from spell damage bonuses. Base absorb values of ranks 5 and 6 have been reduced.
• Ignite: This talent is no lingered triggered by damage dealt by Molten Armor.
• Improved Fireball: The reduction in damage coefficient caused by this talent has been removed.
• Improved Frostbolt: The reduction in damage coefficient caused by this talent has been removed.
• Polymorph: It is no longer possible to polymorph a player and have that player remain mounted. In addition, it will now always be removed correctly if multiple Mages overwrite each other’s Polymorph.
• Portal Spells: Portal spells to capital cities can no longer be cast in battlegrounds.
• Remove Curse range increased to 40 yards.
• (NEW SPELL) Ritual of Refreshment available on trainers at level 70.
• Spellsteal: It is no longer possible via this spell to get two Forbearance debuffs at the same time.

Paladins
• Blessing of Light: Lower ranks of Flash of Light and Holy Light are now properly penalized when used with this Blessing.
• Cleanse and Purify range increased to 40 yards.
• Crusader Strike (Retribution) cooldown reduced from 10 to 6 seconds.
• Divine Favor: When this ability is cast immediately after a critical heal, it will no longer be removed incorrectly.
• Exorcism mana cost reduced.
• Fanaticism (Retribution) now also reduces threat caused by all actions by 6/12/18/24/30%.
• Hammer of Wrath mana cost reduced.
• Holy Wrath mana cost reduced.
• Improved Seal of the Crusader (Retribution) benefits folded into the base spell. This talent now gives the benefits of the Sanctified Crusader talent instead.
• Judgement of Light: The combat log will now show the health gained from rank 5 of this ability as Judgement of Light instead of Seal of Light.
• Judgement of Wisdom: It is no longer possible for the mana energize effect to trigger off of reapplication of the Judgement of Wisdom.
• Paladin seals no longer have a low chance to be dispelled if you have 3 points in Sanctified Seals.
• Precision (Protection) now increases spell hit chance as well.
• Pursuit of Justice (Retribution) is now 3 ranks and increases movement speed by 5/10/15% and also reduces the chance you’ll be hit by spells by 1/2/3%.
• Righteous Defense: The chance for this ability to land successfully on its targets is now increased by hit rating.
• Sanctified Crusader (Retribution) renamed Sanctified Seals, which now increases your chance to critically hit with all spells and melee attacks by 1/2/3% and reduces the chance your Seals will be dispelled by 33/66/100%.
• Seal of Vengeance: The bonus damage this ability dealt when the debuff is fully stacked on the target was incorrectly too low. It is now increased.
• Spiritual Attunement: This ability will now gain mana properly from Vampiric Embrace heals.
• Vengeance (Retribution) duration increased from 15 to 30 seconds.
• Vindication (Retribution) frequency and duration increased and now reduces all attributes by 5/10/15%, not just Strength and Agility.
• Weapon Expertise (Protection) renamed Combat Expertise, now increases expertise by 1/2/3/4/5 and total Stamina by 2/4/6/8/10%.

Priests
• Blessed Recovery: This talent can now trigger while the Priest is sitting.
• Blessed Resilience: This talent can now trigger while the Priest is sitting.
• Chastise (NEW) is now available to Dwarf and Draenei priests at level 20. Chastise causes Holy damage and incapacitates the target for 2 seconds.
• Circle of Healing: The base amount of healing from this spell has been reduced along with increasing the bonus it receives from bonus healing effects. Characters with more than 1338 healing will see their Circle of Healing heal for more than previous patches. Characters with less than 1338 healing will see their Circle of Healing heal for less.
• Cure Disease and Abolish Disease range increased to 40 yards.
• Divine Spirit: It is no longer possible for a target to simultaneously have Divine Spirit rank 5 and Prayer of Spirit Rank 1 icons showing at the same time.
• Elune’s Grace (Night Elf) effect changed to reduce chance to be hit by melee and ranged attacks by 20% for 15 seconds. There is now only 1 rank of the spell.
• Fear Ward is now available to all priests at level 20. Duration reduced to 3 minutes, cooldown increased to 3 minutes.
• Fixed a bug where the global cooldown was triggered when shifting out of Shadowform.
• Focused Will (NEW Discipline Talent) - After taking a critical hit you gain the Focused Will effect, reducing all damage taken by 1/3/5% and increasing healing effects on you by 4/7/10% for 8 seconds. Stacks up to 3 times.
• Holy Fire: The tooltip on rank 4 has been adjusted.
• Inner Focus will now properly affect Lightwell Rank 4
• Inner Focus: This effect is now properly consumed by casting Mind Soothe.
• Meditation (Discipline) increased to 10/20/30% mana regeneration.
• Mind Soothe: This spell will now consume Inner Focus.
• Mind Vision: Now consumes the Inner Focus buff when cast.
• Pain Suppression (Discipline Talent) is now usable on friendly targets, instantly reduces the target’s threat by 5%, reduces damage taken by 40% and its cooldown has been reduced to 2 minutes.
• Prayer of Healing, Circle of Healing and Holy Nova (healing effect) now gain additional benefit from spell damage and healing bonuses.
• Prayer of Mending: This ability will no longer be overwritten when the new Prayer of Mending would do less healing.
• Power Word: Fortitude, Divine Spirit, Prayer of Fortitude and Prayer of Spirit mana costs reduced.
• Power Word: Shield now gains additional benefit from spell damage and healing bonuses. Base absorb values of ranks 10, 11 and 12 have been reduced.
• Shackle Undead: This spell will now always be removed correctly if multiple Priests overwrite each other’s Shackle Undead.
• Shadow Word: Death: Resilience no longer reduces the backlash damage from this spell.
• Starshards (Night Elf) is no longer channeled, costs 0 mana, is now a Magic effect, lasts 15 seconds, causes damage every 3 seconds and has a 30 second cooldown.
• Starshards: The damage per tick of this ability no longer changes during the duration of the effect.
• If you are in Shadowform and try to use an ability that my not be used in Shadowform, you will leave Shadowform and use that ability. This can be disabled with /console autoUnshift 0
• Silent resolve: This talent now benefits the triggered buffs from Blessed Resilience, Blessed Recovery, and Martyrdom.

Rogues
• All poisons will now enchant the weapon for 1 hour, increased from 30 minutes.
• Blade Flurry: This ability now works correctly in all cases with shielded targets.
• Blind is now a physical (no longer a poison) attack. Reagent requirement removed. Now shares the same diminish category as Cyclone and is now diminished in PvE as well as PvP.
• Cheat Death (Subtlety) chance to trigger increased to 33/66/100% and now also causes the rogue to take 90% less damage for 3 seconds when the effect triggers. This effect cannot occur more than once per minute.
• Cold Blood: Fixed an issue where this buff was sometimes getting removed when an attack missed.
• Dirty Deeds now also increases special ability damage against enemies below 35% health.
• Dirty Deeds: This talent will no longer interfere with getting the bonus damage from the Druid ability Mangle on Rupture and Garrote.
• Fleet Footed (Assassination) now increases movement speed by 8/15%.
• Hemorrhage: This ability now does 125% of weapon damage.
• Kick: Interrupting a channeled spell with this ability will now always properly prevent casting spells from the same spell school for 5 sec.
• Precision: This talent now also applies to ranged weapons.
• Remorseless Attacks: This talent can no longer be triggered by the death of a rogue’s target dummy or other pet.
• Riposte is now subject to diminishing returns in PvP.
• Rogue’s Deadly Throw missile speed increased significantly and snare duration increased slightly.
• Ruthlessness now only affects melee finishing moves. It no longer works with Deadly Throw.
• Sap: Multiple Saps placed by multiple Rogues will now be handled correctly in all cases.
• Shadowstep (Subtlety) can now be used at any time, not only while stealthed. Now increases the damage and reduces the threat caused by the next damaging ability. Cooldown increased to 30 seconds. Range changed to 25 yards.
• If you are in Stealth and try to use an ability that may not be used while stealthed, you will leave stealth and use that ability. This can be disabled with /console autoUnshift 0

Shaman
• Chain Heal: The tooltips on ranks 1-3 have been adjusted.
• Chain Lightning cast time reduced to 2.0 (from 2.5), mana costs reduced, benefit from spell damage reduced appropriately.
• Cure Poison and Cure Disease range increased to 40 yards.
• Earth Shield: This spell will now always be removed correctly if multiple Shaman overwrite each other’s Earth Shield.
• Earth Shield: This ability will no longer be overwritten when the new Earth Shield would do less healing.
• Earth Shock: Interrupting a channeled spell with this spell will now always properly prevent casting spells from the same spell school for 2 sec.
• Elemental Focus (Elemental) now reduces the mana cost of the next 2 damage spells by 40%.
• Elemental Mastery: It is no longer possible to get two consecutive guaranteed critical strikes from using this ability.
• Eye of the Storm: This talent can now trigger while the Shaman is sitting.
• Frost Shock is no longer subject to diminishing returns.
• Grounding Totem: This totem is now destroyed upon redirecting any spell to itself.
• Lightning Bolt cast time reduced to 2.5 (from 3.0 where applicable), mana costs reduced, benefit from spell damage reduced appropriately.
• Lightning Mastery (Elemental) cast time reduction reduced to .1/.2/.3/.4/.5 seconds.
• Lightning Overload (Elemental) now has a 4/8/12/16/20% chance to occur and the additional spell causes half damage and no additional threat.
• Mana Spring Totem effect increased.
• Mental Quickness (Enhancement) now also increases spell damage and healing equal to 10/20/30% of your attack power.
• Two-Handed Axes and Two-Handed Maces are now trainable by all Shaman at the appropriate weapon masters. The Enhancement talent has been replaced by Shamanistic Focus.
• Shamanistic Focus (New Enhancement Talent): After landing a melee critical strike, you enter a Focused state. The Focused state reduces the mana cost of your next Shock spell by 60%.
• Shamanistic Rage (Enhancement) now also reduces all damage taken by 30% for the duration.
• Spirit Weapons (Enhancement) threat reduction increased to 30% from 15%.
• Rockbiter Weapon: For ranks 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 the increased damage resulting from this enchantment has been reduced slightly to match the intended numbers given in the tooltip. Ranks 1, 2, 3, and 9 are unchanged.
• Water Shield: This spell no longer costs any mana to cast and its duration has been shortened. At the end of its duration, it now grants mana for any remaining globes. In addition, the mana granted per globe has been substantially increased.
• Windfury Weapon: This enchantment can no longer be triggered while you are disarmed.

Warlock
• Banish can no longer be cast on targets tapped by other players or groups.
• Conflagrate: The Immolate debuff will now always be removed correctly when this spell is cast.
• Drain Life and Siphon Life now reduce the amount healed when the warlock is affected by healing reducing effects (e.g. Mortal Strike, Wounding Poison).
• Hellfire: This spell will no longer cause enemy spells to increase casting time or reduce channel time. It will also no longer prevent flag captures in Battlegrounds.
• Nether Protection (Destruction) now has a new, more distinct visual effect.
• Ritual of Souls now takes significantly less time to cast and complete.
• Seed of Corruption detonation will now obey line of sight.
• Shadow Embrace: This talent’s effect can no longer trigger other effects.
• Shadow Ward: This spell now gains additional benefit from spell damage bonuses. Base absorb value of rank 4 has been reduced.
• Soul Siphon (Affliction) now increases damage by 2/4% and no longer affects Drain Mana.
• Soul Siphon (Affliction): If a Warlock already has a particular spell cast on a target, reapplying before its duration ends will no longer grant an additional bonus.
• Unstable Affliction: The silence from this ability is now subject to diminishing returns.

Warrior
• Blood Craze: This talent can now trigger while the Warrior is sitting.
• Challenging Shout: The chance for this ability to land successfully on its targets is now increased by hit rating.
• Charge will work more often when targets are up against unpathable areas like walls and poles.
• Defiance (Protection) now also grants 2/4/6 weapon expertise.
• Devastate (Protection) now combines the effects of Sunder Armor into its effect. It is also now affected by all talents and items that affect Sunder Armor.
• Disarm is now subject to diminishing returns in PvP.
• Enrage: This talent can now trigger while the Warrior is sitting.
• Improved Berserker Stance (Fury) now also reduces all threat caused while in Berserker Stance by 2/4/6/8/10%
• Improved Intercept and Weapon Mastery have swapped locations in the talent trees.
• Intervene will no longer place you in combat.
• Hamstring now has a 10 second duration when used on PvP targets.
• Mace Specialization (Arms) now has a reduced chance to occur but generates 7 rage instead of 6.
• Pummel: Interrupting a channeled spell with this ability will now always properly prevent casting spells from the same spell school for 4 sec.
• Shield Bash: Interrupting a channeled spell with this ability will now always properly prevent casting spells from the same spell school for 6 sec.
• Shield Slam (Protection) now always tries to dispel one Magic effect on the target.
• Sweeping Strikes and Deathwish have swapped locations in the talent trees.
• Sweeping Strikes (Fury) now lasts 10 seconds and affects your next 10 swings.
• Sweeping Strikes: This ability now works correctly in all cases with shielded targets.
• Tactical Mastery: This talent also now grants greatly increased threat from Mortal Strike and Bloodthirst when in Defensive Stance.
• Taunt: The chance for this ability to land successfully on its target is now increased by hit rating.
• Weapon Mastery (Arms) now reduces duration of Disarm effects against you by 25/50% rather than giving you a 50% chance to avoid or full immunity to Disarm effects.
• Whirlwind: This ability now strikes with both weapons when a Warrior is dual-wielding.

Items
• Gladiator’s armor pieces of like nature from various seasons will now all meet the requirements for their shared set bonus. This means if you are using 2 pieces of Season 1 gear and 2 pieces of Season 2 gear of the same design you will now have your 4 piece set bonus
• Gladiator’s Chain Gauntlets: The bonus damage on these gloves has been increased from 4% to 5%.
• Grand Marshal’s Dragonhide Helm: The intellect on this item was increased slightly to match the equivalent Horde-only item.
• Merciless Gladiator’s Chain Gauntlets: The bonus damage on these gloves has been increased from 4% to 5%.
• Mystical Skyfire Diamond: A cooldown has been added to this item’s effect, but the chance for it to trigger has been increased.
• PvP Trinkets: Insignia of the Alliance, Insignia of the Horde, Medallion of the Alliance, and Medallion of the Horde now clear the debuff from Judgement of Justice.

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10 Responses to “No Season 3 Until After Thanksgiving”

  1. Plagueis Says:

    Man, I have that whole week off. This sucks >

  2. shyst Says:

    yah i’m pretty sad at this delay. I was planning on doing some hardcore Arena sessions during the vacation…

  3. Sauce Says:

    Great a little more time to hit the honor cap. I don’t want season 3 to hit and be all screwed up and then have to wait a few days for them to get back from holiday to fix it.

  4. Mnemonic Says:

    Perfect for me, i was just shy of my second vengeful piece. i didnt want to waste additional honor for the glad pants for just one weak after launch.

    Not to mention it gives me more time to ZA/Kara for badges. I think it was a good choice by Blizzard, however it does suck for people that booked off this week.

  5. Graymer Says:

    HATEEEEEEEEE BLIZZ!

  6. Emokk Says:

    “booked off” lol poeple actually call out of work for WoW patches… awesome GG blizz see what you have done to our economy hahaha

  7. SupaVillian Says:

    Wait are the new honor pieces available already? I thought that wouldn’t be shipped until season 3 came out

  8. Skel Says:

    Not until season 3 which is what we are talking about. They have pushed it back 1 week.

  9. SupaVillian Says:

    Perfect for me, i was just shy of my second vengeful piece. i didnt want to waste additional honor for the glad pants for just one weak after launch.

    i can read…but the way that was phrased would indicate it was available

  10. nom Says:

    Thanks wut?

    No one cares about American holidays =D

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