Harry Potter Missed A Huge Opportunity To Make Christmas At Hogwarts Even More Magical

Halloween and Christmas feature prominently throughout the Harry Potter series, and the latter is especially highlighted — so much so that an entire illustrated book about Christmas at Hogwarts recently came out. It makes sense that this is such an iconic occasion in the Harry Potter books and 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 although Harry Potter is known for its Christmas sequences, the series arguably doesn’t do enough with its holiday scenes. Christmas at Hogwarts could be even more magical if 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. And Harry Potter could 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 that Harry Potter doesn’t put Wizarding World twists on the real-world figures and traditions associated with the holiday. As @nothingeverlost notes on TikTok, 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 Potter misses many opportunities to turn legendary and historical figures into witches and wizards, attributing their accomplishments to magic.

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 of Harry 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 into Harry Potter in 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 if Harry Potter doesn’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 Muggles and do 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 why Harry Potter doesn’t just create new holidays in 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 the Harry Potter series 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 representation has 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 Potter could mention these or show supporting characters celebrating them.

This would be a smart way to improve the series’ world-building and diversity at the same time, but Harry Potter doesn’t bother with it. Perhaps that’s not surprising, as it doesn’t even dig that deeply into the holidays it does feature. However, the upcoming HBO show will finally get the chance to make up for this. The confirmation that the Harry Potter series will go more in-depth offers 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 the Harry Potter books 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 give Harry Potter more time to expand on existing storylines and characters, but it will also make it possible to work new details into the story. Although the Harry Potter TV show should 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 on Harry 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, and it could expand on the Wizarding World’s Christmas lore as well.

Whether the creators will take the chance to do this remains to be seen, but it would help the Harry Potter remake 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 the Harry Potter books, it’s hard to see anyone complaining about additional holiday magic. Those moments are among the Harry Potter movies’ 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.

Cast

Daniel Radcliffe , Emma Watson , Rupert Grint , Tom Felton , Alan Rickman , Matthew Lewis , Bonnie Wright , Evanna Lynch , Maggie Smith , Michael Gambon , Richard Harris , Ralph Fiennes , Helena Bonham Carter , Alfred Enoch , Harry Melling , Gary Oldman , Robert Pattinson , Warwick Davis , Oliver Phelps , James Phelps , David Bradley , David Thewlis , Katie Leung , Jason Isaacs , Imelda Staunton , David Tennant , Jamie Campbell Bower , Timothy Spall , Robbie Coltrane , Eddie Redmayne , Jude Law , Katherine Waterston , Ezra Miller , Dan Fogler , Alison Sudol , Johnny Depp , Mads Mikkelsen

Character(s)

Harry Potter , Hermione Granger , Ron Weasley , Dumbledore , Minerva McGonagall , Rubeus Hagrid , Dobby the House Elf , Draco Malfoy , Sirius Black , Ginny Weasley , Voldemort

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