Giving gifts to characters in Stardew Valley is a quick way of building a friendship with them. Most villagers will have individual opinions towards certain items - either loving, liking, disliking, hating or being neutral towards different gifts. Some gifts prompt universal reactions - though some of these opinions may confuse players.

When presenting a villager with a bug steak or explosive ammo, it’ll likely be no surprise that they won’t take it well. However, there is one item which many would assume to be liked universally - but is very much the opposite. Why is the poppy universally hated by almost everyone in Stardew Valley?

Is Everyone Hating Poppies In Stardew Valley A Bug?

Some Players Falsely Assume The Negative Reaction To Poppies Is A Glitch

In Stardew Valley, presenting a poppy to the vast majority of villagers will result in a negative reaction. This remains true for even the villagers who usually love flowers, and most flowers are universally liked as gifts. However, the poppy is the exception to this. Many players have experienced the shock of growing lots of poppies in their first year to give out as gifts, only to realize that everyone who they’re giving them to takes the gesture as an insult.

This is especially odd when compared to the reactions villagers have towards other poppy-related items. Poppy honey is a universal like, only being disliked by Maru and Sebastian. Also, Poppyseed Muffins are liked by the majority of villagers - only being disliked by Krobus, Leo and Willy, whilst being loved by Penny and Leah. This leaves the assumption that the issue with poppies is to do with them being specifically in the form of flowers.

Since the majority of villagers love flowers, and lots of them like poppies when baked into muffins, many assume the issue with poppies to be a glitch - similarly to how sap has been mistakenly tagged as a universal love in the Nintendo Switch release. However, the game has been released for over nine years, and people have been questioning what is so wrong with poppies since 2016. With so many updates where this could have been patched, it’s safe to assume that this is an intended feature. There’s also one character that loves poppies on their own - Penny.

A Story Outside The Valley May Explain Why Everyone Hates Poppies

The Larger Narrative Involves A War Which The Player Learns Little About

The likely reasoning behind the hate for Poppies is a lesser-focused on plot point in the background of Stardew Valley. A few characters will mention that there is a war going on between the “Ferngill Republic,” where the valley is located, and the “Gotoro Empire.” Players can mainly hear about this war from Kent, who is a returning soldier from the war, or from his son, Sam. The information about this war is, seemingly intentionally, kept vague, but it’s safe to assume that it’s something that most villagers will be very aware of.

The goods obtained from the traveling merchant are said to have been smuggled from outside the Gotoro Empire.

It's likely that the majority of characters will have the war in the back of their minds if gifted a poppy. The flowers are symbols of remembrance for soldiers who have died during warfare, and it's likely that the villagers don’t appreciate a reminder of a war that is actively ongoing - Sam claims that soldiers of the Ferngill Republic are falling by the thousands, and before Kent’s return in the second year, is unsure if he will return. Poppies are also general symbols of death, so it may be that they’re seen as bad omens to give as gifts.

Why Does Penny Love Poppies When Everyone Else Hates Them?

There Isn't A Solid Explanation, But There Are A Few Possible Reasons

As mentioned, there is only one villager in the valley who appreciates receiving poppies as a gift - Penny. There isn’t any concrete reasoning given in the game as to why, but she is characterized as being quite empathetic, and may simply feel bad that the flowers have a bad name among the other villagers. A more depressing explanation may be that she enjoys the flowers because of their links to death - her relationship with her mother, Pam, leaves a lot to be desired, and many have speculated that Penny isn’t as mentally well as she might seem.

With that being said, Penny’s loved gifts also include several museum artifacts. She may just be a fan of history, or is able to appreciate the flower for its various other meanings. She also loves receiving Poppyseed muffins, which implies that she may enjoy the calming effect of the flower’s seeds - perhaps she likes to bake them herself. It’s surprising how much one flower can hold so much lore, and the different reactions villagers have to receiving it as a gift is a testament to the worldbuilding of Stardew Valley.

Source: archebus/Reddit