Who is December Holiday in Deltarune?

December Holiday in Deltarune, often called Dess, is Noelle Holiday’s older sister, and one of the most quietly important characters in the game, even though she hasn’t appeared in person yet. She’s the daughter of Rudy and Carol Holiday and was once part of a friend group with Noelle, Kris, and Asriel. But now, she’s gone.

Noelle’s memories and the things left behind tell us something happened before the game's events. Let's look more into December Holiday in Deltarune.

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December Holiday in Deltarune was Noelle’s protector

Noelle mentions Dess (Image via Toby Fox / YouTube@HalfBreadChaos)

Noelle talks about her sister in bits and pieces, mostly in Chapter 2. From what she shares, Dess was someone who looked out for her — someone who made her feel safe. When Noelle was scared, she would calm her down. When Kris messed around or made up stories, Dess stood up for her.

One memory mentions how Dess hit Kris with a wiffle bat to stop them from lying. Noelle clearly remembers her sister as someone strong who cared a lot. There’s also a line when Noelle looks at the strange moon in Cyber World and quietly says she wishes Dess could see it. It’s small, but it says a lot. She isn’t around anymore, and Noelle still thinks about her.

Her presence is felt even when she’s gone

In Chapter 1, you can inspect an angel doll in Rudy’s hospital room. He says he keeps it for good luck and that he and Noelle made it with Dess in the youth group. The name Dess changes the tone of the moment. It shows that people still carry her memory, even if they don’t talk about her much.

There’s also a part in Chapter 2 where Kris can scare Noelle using Cyber City mice. Noelle says Kris is lucky Dess isn’t there to protect her. Again, it shows that she used to be someone who stood up for her when others didn’t.

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Later chapters give more quiet details

At the end of Chapter 3, there’s a flashback where December Holiday in Deltarune appears for the first time. She’s watching TV with Kris’ family, but she’s also the first to disappear in that scene — whatever that may mean. It’s subtle, but it seems important.

In Chapter 4, Kris can go into Dess’ old room. There’s a guitar there, and Susie picks it up. But when Carol sees it, she becomes upset and bans Susie from the house. This illustrates how serious Dess’ absence is to the Holiday family. Her room hasn’t been forgotten; it still holds significance.

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So what happened to December Holiday in Deltarune?

Gameplay still from Deltarune (Image via Toby Fox / YouTube@HalfBreadChaos)

The game never tells us directly about December Holiday in Deltarune. But the way people talk about her — always in the past tense — makes it clear that something happened. She might be missing, or maybe she passed away. What’s certain is that she was important to the people around her, and her absence is deeply felt.

Regardless of whether she ever appears in person, Dess is one of the quiet mysteries that runs through Deltarune’s story.

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Check out: How to defeat Roaring Knight secret boss fight in Deltarune Chapter 3