I agree with one thing - it should be hard! But, it should also be achievable. The West depends on the casual, non-premium players. Let people who can be active 24/7/365 get their set fast, but also allow those who login once or twice per day to have a chance to complete the sets. Make it repeatable so they can continue next year, or let the event last longer, or both... I am sure there are many who didn't collect all the snowballs, peacock feathers, pumpkins, glass tubes etc. It can be frustrating, and when people can't compete in a game and their effort ends in disappointment - they leave and find something more rewarding.
But, yeah, if you're happy with worlds that have less than 1000 registered and less than 200 active players, then carry on...