This morning David is off and it’s the perfect day to celebrate International Harry Potter Day #InternationalHarryPotterDay. Were going to the mall later with Charlie and I can’t wait to check out Book Store and to see if there celebrating International Harry Potter day or not. In our Homeschool were going to do a day built around Harry Potter movies, books and fames. Even Charlie’s cooking class will feature Harry Potter. Would you like to join us in our class this morning?
Harry Potter Day fall on May 2nd bringing excitement and joy to Potterheads around the world. The then UK Prime Minister David Cameron declared May 2nd an official international holiday to honor the literary work of J. K. Rowling. Now, over a decade since the release of the last book in the series, the passion surrounding the characters and their life events have not faded. Grab your wand and let’s revel in the magical history ofvv Harry Potter.
In 2012, Harry Potter fans around the world cheered Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron’s declaration that May 2 would forevermore be known as International Harry Potter Day. Author J. K. Rowling’s literary series had a significant impact and holds the Guinness World Record as the highest-selling series by a single author at over 500 million copies sold.
May 2 was chosen because International Harry Potter Day because The Battle of Hogwarts was fought on this date in 1998. The final conflict of the Second Wizarding War took place at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The Order of the Phoenix proved victorious, ending the most devastating battle of that war and resulting in numerous casualties, most notably Lord Voldemort.
Every year brings extraordinary ways to celebrate International Harry Potter Day including anniversaries to recognize, characters to remember, places to see. Key locations throughout Europe that have ties to the movie offer events. The popularity of the entire franchise spawned a theme park, retail stores, an escape room, and merchandise related to everything Harry Potter.
In Cameron’s official statement announcing International Harry Potter Day he said “In order to fully commemorate and immortalize her work, we have decided to officially declare May 2nd as an official international holiday, in honor of the date that protagonist Harry Potter conquered the main antagonist of the series, Lord Voldemort. We hope that children and adults alike will be reminded of Harry Potter’s strong and courageous character on this Holiday, as well as of the true credit that Ms. Rowling has made to society.”
HARRY POTTER DAY ACTIVITIES
- J. K. Rowling created Harry Potter at Home, a website for children offering crafts, puzzles, and quizzes. Children can join the fan club from this site and discover new things to read about the wizarding universe. Charlie and I will be checking out this site to use in our Homeschool Classes this week. Would you like to check out the website with us?
- Invite friends into your home or virtually to enjoy an evening of Harry Potter trivia and search for pub quizzes on the net and see who among your friends knows the most about The Boy Who Lived.
- Binge read, watch or listen to the series because today is a great day to catch up on your reading or binge-watching your favorite Harry Potter movies. Remember movies are more fun with friends.
FACTS ABOUT HARRY POTTER
- The newspapers used by characters in various scenes throughout the Harry Potter movies were created to include headlines about a special character: The Ginger Witch.
- Daniel Radcliffe was selected to play the once-in-a-lifetime role of Harry Potter over 300 other actors, including Haley Joel Osment.
- To protect the final novel from early leaks and disclosures, Bloomsbury, the publisher, gave the book code names such as “Edinburgh Potmakers” and “The Life and Times of Clara Rose Lovett: An epic novel covering many generations”.
- The food used during the feast scene in “Goblet of Fire” was real; the actors were able to eat while filming.
- Steve Vander Ark created an online library of all things Harry Potter in 2000 which fans have referenced for 20 years; to celebrate their 20th anniversary, they started a podcast, The Harry Potter Minute.
WHY PEOPLE LOVE HARRY POTTER DAY
- Everyone loves a classic good vs. evil tale and Harry Potter delivers this through the Gryffindors over the Slytherins saga.
- The mystical, magical, and imaginary draw us in and this fantasy brings adventure to life and we can live vicariously through the Harry Potter characters, who have powers we can only wish we possessed.
- After more than 20 years of Harry Potter, many adults grew up in the wizarding universe reliving the series is sentimental. We’re talking about old friends at this point!
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
