Christmas and Harry Potter

[KhakiBlueSocks]

Okay, this is something I've been wondering about for a bit...

What do you guys think about Christmas being celebrated in the Harry Potter world?

[mitsuki lover]

I don't see why they wouldn't have Christmas or Hanukkah or any other religious holiday for that matter.
er...Was that what the question was about?wheter or not they would have it?

[Ashley]

It's just a reflection of the secularization of holidays (yes, I know, they were originally secular - no need to reiterate this point again) throughout the world. How is celebrating Christmas in Harry Potter different than in the Flinstones? Or for that matter, most homes in America?

[mitsuki lover]

With the Flinstones though it would have been anachronistic since they lived in the Stone Age.

[Sohma]

Haha, this is something I have always thought about.
Why would they even begin to celebrate Christmas? For one, we all know the story behind Christmas and, obviously, Harry doesn't believe in any such thing.
Another, since they don't believe that, this would be only a “muggleâ€

[mechana2015]

Some things just carry over I think... most of the muggle/wizard separation is due to one of two reasons:

a. the wizards have something better
b. the wizards are trying to protect the muggles

So in that case... christmas celebration merely means that they couldn't come up with a better holiday, and they probably saw no inherent harm in it. It may have just come into play when the "wizarding" and "muggle" communities merged, since it allowed the wizards to blend in better. They never cover any religeous significance in it... so that would follow a "its fun, it helps us fit in better, its harmless to us... why not!" attitude.

[Technomancer]

Given how the books avoid the question of religion (either muggle or wizard) altogether, I don't think one ought to draw any significance from the inclusion of a Christmas break. The books after all, reflect a generic sort of English boarding school novel, and Christmas is part of the rhythm of such books. I wouldn't attach any deeper signifcance than that.

[Radical Dreamer]

Actually, according to an article I read once (it was on Christianity Today's site, though I forget the title), J.K. Rowling has professed to be a Christian. So it seems fairly natural to me that she'd add in holidays like Christmas and Easter, since she's familiar with them already.

[uc pseudonym]

I think a reasonable answer has already been given, so I won't reiterate it. Hopefully I will not be condemned for posting in order to say:

With the Flinstones though it would have been anachronistic since they lived in the Stone Age.

An anachronism in the Flinstones? Madness!

[Tenshi no Ai]

Given how the books avoid the question of religion (either muggle or wizard) altogether, I don't think one ought to draw any significance from the inclusion of a Christmas break. The books after all, reflect a generic sort of English boarding school novel, and Christmas is part of the rhythm of such books. I wouldn't attach any deeper signifcance than that.

Tis true. I mean, they could've even made them celebrate Yule Tide. But, even with that any form of religion is taken from the book.So since many many families celebrate Christmas, they do too. Although I don't remember any mention of Easter in there, being not a big a celebration as Christmas worldwide anyhow. Halloween however, makes the most sense.

[the_wolfs_howl]

Well, they might not celebrate Easter, precisely, but they do have Easter holidays at Hogwarts. I remember in one book (I think it was the first one) where it said that the Easter holidays weren't as relaxing as the Christmas holidays had been.

[mitsuki lover]

Well with all that goes on at Hogwarts I doubt any holiday would be considered overly relaxing there.

[the_wolfs_howl]

You've got a point there. As Ron (I think) said, "I wonder what it's like to have a normal life."

[rocklobster]

I wish JK Rowling had been more vocal about her Christian faith. Maybe that'd make the anti-Harry Potter crowd quieter.
No, wait, they'd condemn it anyway.

[Bobtheduck]

I wish JK Rowling had been more vocal about her Christian faith. Maybe that'd make the anti-Harry Potter crowd quieter.
No, wait, they'd condemn it anyway.

Well, she's a struggling Christian. Tolkien was a practicing Catholic and Lewis was an evangelistic and apologetic Christian. So, that wouldn't have helped. The second she started discussing the doubts and struggles she had, BAM... She'd have lost them.

[Tyrel]

Well, she's a struggling Christian. Tolkien was a practicing Catholic and Lewis was an evangelistic and apologetic Christian. So, that wouldn't have helped. The second she started discussing the doubts and struggles she had, BAM... She'd have lost them.

Unfortunately true. I've heard some silly arguments against the Harry Potter series.. Funny how nobody attacks the Lord of the Rings in the same fashion, because J.R.R. Tolkien, the devout Catholic he was, was the one who helped C.S.Lewis to become the devout evangelistic Anglican he was.

Oh well. People will be people.


But as to the whole question of Christmas within the Harry Potter series, I simply considered it a cultural slip, so to speak. I don't think J.K. Rowling had anything so deep in mind when she introduced the notion of Christmas holiday into the books. I simply think it was a part of her culture and the books reflect lots of that. Take any work of fiction and attempt to understand the universe completely comprehensively with anything and I think most works simply fall apart. This is because they aren't written to be anything more than fiction which we can relate to. Harry Potter is purposefully laced with elements which make the characters and the story easier to relate to. I think this was simply meant to be another one of those elements. Nothing more, nothing less.. I mean, if we take things to the extreme, then we get ridiculous things like transformers Fans arguing about why and how some bots are Male and others Female, and whether this relation is sexual or simply that of gender roles.

That's not intended to belittle the conversation, I just thought I'd throw it out there.

[minakichan]

I don't really see it as any different from when Japanese anime characters celebrate Christmas.

"Since when do Shinigami celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ?"

[Mist]

I don't really see it as any different from when Japanese anime characters celebrate Christmas.

"Since when do Shinigami celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ?"

XD I burst out laughing when I first read that in the manga.

But concerning the topic, I agree with what has been mentioned before me. I doubt she meant anything deep by it. It's tradition, so she decided to include it in. It's the commercialized version that's in the book, anyway.

I was intrigued that she called it the Yule Ball, though. I found it funny, for some reason.

-Mist