Some audiences consider the Harry Potter series Christmas films, but should they be considered a part of the holiday season? Right around the time of the winter holidays, Harry Potter films are a favorite to be rewatched. Many will watch all eight films in a marathon, and even cable TV networks will put on the films weekly leading up to Christmas. However, none of the Harry Potter films have been strictly Christmas movies.
Similar to other films like Die Hard or Jumanji, Harry Potter movies are considered untraditional Christmas films. Part of this may be due to association as half of the Harry Potter films were originally released in theaters in late November. Audiences may remember seeing the films during the winter around Christmastime and so associate the films with the festive time of year. However, there is an even more likely reason as to why audiences gravitate back to the Wizarding World around Christmas.
The Harry Potter Movies All Have Key Christmas Scenes
The main reason Harry Potter movies are associated with Christmas is that almost every film includes a scene at Christmas that is key to the story. In Sorcerer’s Stone Harry finds the Mirror of Erised and sees his parents for the first time, in Chamber of Secrets Harry and Ron use Polyjuice Potion to question Malfoy, in Prisoner of Azkaban Harry discovers Sirius Black is his Godfather, in Goblet of Fire everyone attends the Triwizard Tournament’s Yule Ball, in Order of the Phoenix Harry has a vision of Mr. Weasley being attacked, in Half-Blood Prince the Weasley home is attacked by Death Eaters, and in Deathly Hallows Part 1 Harry and Hermione visit Godric's Hollow and see Harry’s parents’ grave.
The inclusion of Christmas in Harry Potter makes sense as, due to every story following Harry and his friends through a year of their lives, it is inevitable that Christmastime comes along and is addressed. These Christmases are always visually spectacular, and the music tracks take special care to create a holiday feel for these scenes. The Harry Potter films take special care to include as many of the Christmas moments from the books as possible, even adding more drama if needed as seen with Half-Blood Prince as the attack on the Burrow during Christmas was not in the book.
Do The Harry Potter Movies Really Count As Christmas Films?
With all this in mind, do the Harry Potter films count as Christmas movies? The honest answer is no. Unlike other unusual Christmas films, Harry Potter doesn’t align with the messages Christmas films are associated with. Like most big fantasy franchises, Harry Potter is telling a long and complex story that stretches way beyond Christmas. The one exception in the series would be Chris Columbus’s The Sorcerer’s Stone. Not only is it the film that is seen as the most stand-alone, but it also is the film where the message is similar to most Christmas films, that love is the most powerful force in the world.
The Christmas scenes are also extra special as not only is it Harry’s first real Christmas with presents, but it’s also the first time audiences got to see how magical Christmas is at Hogwarts. Nevertheless, audiences got to experience Christmas with Harry Potter in seven out of eight movies. Whether they count as Christmas films or not, the Harry Potter series continues to thrive at Christmastime and audiences are more than willing to return to Hogwarts for the holiday season.