Halloween and Christmas feature prominently throughout theHarry Potterseries, and the latter is especially highlighted — so much so that an entireillustrated book about Christmas at Hogwartsrecently came out.It makes sense that this is such an iconic occasion intheHarry Potterbooksand movies. After all, the professors at Hogwarts decorate the Great Hall spectacularly, and it’s one of the few times when Harry, Ron, and Hermione can simply relax while at school (even if they’re usually solving some mystery in lieu of homework).
But althoughHarry Potteris known for its Christmas sequences, the series arguably doesn’t do enough with its holiday scenes.Christmas at Hogwarts could be even more magicalif the story leaned further into its fantasy elements. Numerous aspects of Wizarding World lore would fit perfectly with the traditions and legends of the winter holiday. AndHarry Pottercould have expanded its winter scenes beyond Christmas, covering other holidays and increasing the series' diversity.
The Harry Potter Books Missed The Opportunity To Make Christmas Even More Magical
They Could Have Explained Holiday Figures & Legends With Wizarding World Lore
Although Hogwarts decorates for Christmas, it’s somewhat surprising thatHarry Potterdoesn’t put Wizarding World twists on the real-world figures and traditionsassociated with the holiday. As @nothingeverlost notes onTikTok, there’s so much potential to make such aspects of Christmas fit into Harry’s new world. It’s shocking that Santa Claus isn’t even mentioned, when the books could easily depict him as a wizard. In fact,Harry Pottermisses many opportunities to turn legendary and historical figures into witches and wizards, attributing their accomplishments to magic.
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And @nothingeverlost makes a solid point about the Floo Network, which would be the perfect means for Santa to travel throughout the Wizarding World. This would have been a fun and interesting take on one ofHarry Potter’s already-established pieces of lore. It would also have helped blend Muggle legends, like Santa traveling down chimneys, with Wizarding World magic.
There are plenty of other aspects of Christmas — like reindeer, elves, and the North Pole — that could have been woven intoHarry Potterin some way.
There are plenty of other aspects of Christmas — like reindeer, elves, and the North Pole — that could have been woven intoHarry Potterin some way. Unfortunately,the series doesn’t take advantage of all the Christmas folklore out there. It also fails to create new traditions that are specific to the Wizarding World, leaving fans to wonder why witches and wizards celebrate the holiday exactly the same way as Muggles.
Hogwarts' Christmas Scenes Should Have Elaborated On Wizarding World Traditions
Witches & Wizards Treat The Holiday Exactly The Same As Muggles
Even ifHarry Potterdoesn’t dig into real-world Christmas traditions,it probably should feature new ones for its Wizarding World characters. There’s no reason to think witches and wizards would celebrate the same holidays as Mugglesanddo so in the same manner as them. The books and movies could have forgone gift-giving and Christmas trees in favor of more unique approaches to holiday decor and exchanges. There’s so much room to get creative on this front, but the series opts not to do so.
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Of course,there’s the question of whyHarry Potterdoesn’t just create new holidaysin the first place, rather than depend on Muggle ones to bring its characters together. The Wizarding World has its own form of currency, its own education system, and a government separate from those of the Muggle world. It would make sense if they also had their own set of events to celebrate, though the inclusion of familiar ones like Halloween and Christmas makes these story moments more relatable.
The Harry Potter Series Should Have Gone Beyond Christmas & Explored Other Holidays
Diversity Is Already Lacking In The Books & Movies
If theHarry Potterseries insists on sticking to Muggle holidays and traditions,it should also feature more than just Christmas during the wintertime. Unfortunately,Harry Potter’s lack of diverse representationhas become a major complaint about the series — and it’s a valid one. One way to include more diversity in the story would have been to feature other winter holidays, like Hanukkah or Diwali. Even with limited time to dedicate to holiday sequences,Harry Pottercould mention these or show supporting characters celebrating them.
The confirmation that theHarry Potterseries will go more in-depth offers hope that it could add more holiday lore.
This would be a smart way to improve the series' world-building and diversity at the same time, butHarry Potterdoesn’t bother with it. Perhaps that’s not surprising, as it doesn’t even dig that deeply into the holidays itdoesfeature. However, the upcoming HBO show will finally get the chance to make up for this. The confirmation that theHarry Potterseries will go more in-depthoffers hope that it could add more holiday lore, both when it comes to what’s already in the series and when it comes to holidays that should be included.
HBO’s Harry Potter Remake Could Take Advantage Of The Opportunities The Books Didn’t
A TV Format Offers More Time To Expand On The Wizarding World’s Holidays
While theHarry Potterbooks and movies squander the opportunity to make Christmas more magical — and to go beyond it by exploring other holidays —HBO’s upcoming remake can finally take advantage of it. A television format will giveHarry Pottermore time to expand on existing storylines and characters, but it will also make it possible to work new details into the story. Although theHarry PotterTV showshould avoid changing too much from the source material, adding more holiday details seems likely to benefit it in the long run.
After all, this series will be a more modernized take onHarry Potter,and it should feel that way. This means more diversity at Hogwarts, and that necessitates covering more holidays than just Christmas. With full seasons dedicated to adapting each book, there’s also ample opportunity to spend more time on holiday sequences. The show could likely cover multiple holidays in this time frame, andit could expand on the Wizarding World’s Christmas lore as well.
TheHarry PotterTV show is expected to debut on Max in 2026.
Whether the creators will take the chance to do this remains to be seen, butit would help theHarry Potterremake stand out from the original movies. Finding small ways to differentiate itself will be important if it hopes to form a lasting legacy of its own. And if the remake is otherwise faithful to theHarry Potterbooks, it’s hard to see anyone complaining about additional holiday magic. Those moments are among theHarry Pottermovies' most charming and comforting, and more of that from the TV show should be welcomed.
Source:TikTok
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a multimedia franchise about an orphaned boy who enrolls at Hogwarts School of Wizardry, where he learns the truth about himself, his family, and the terrible evil that haunts the magical world. Adapted from the novels, Harry Potter is an eight-episode film saga that follows the journey of Harry Potter and his friends, Hermoine Granger and Ron Weasley, as they navigate the tricky world of growing up, school life, and magic. Starting from year one and moving to their seventh year, the films chronicle the students' time at Hogwarts while unfurling a sinister plot that centers around the unsuspecting Harry. With the return of the dark wizard, Voldemort, the students and professors at Hogwarts will fight to carry on as the world around them may change forever. Harry Potter has expanded beyond the world of its films and novels with several video games, a spin-off film series titled Fantastic Beasts, and even attractions at Universal Studios.
