======The Hogwarts Christmas Feast======
=====Feast Information=====
  * **Type:** Annual [[School Tradition]]
  * **Location:** The [[Great Hall]] at [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]]
  * **Attendees:** [[Hogwarts]] staff and any students who remain at the castle during the [[Christmas]] holidays.
  * **Key Features:** Elaborate magical decorations, a multi-course meal of immense proportions, and enchanted entertainment such as [[Wizard Crackers]].
=====Description and History=====
The [[Hogwarts]] [[Christmas]] Feast is a cherished annual tradition held on [[Christmas]] Day to celebrate the holiday. It takes place in the [[Great Hall]], which is specially decorated for the occasion. The hall features twelve towering [[Christmas]] trees, brought in by [[Rubeus Hagrid]], which are then decorated with everything from magical candles to live owls by [[Professor Flitwick]] and other staff members. The walls are adorned with festoons of holly and mistletoe, and the ceiling is often enchanted to let soft, dry snow fall gently upon the attendees.
The feast is a warm and joyous occasion, particularly for students like [[Harry Potter]] who have no other home to go to for the holidays. While the number of students who stay at [[Hogwarts]] for [[Christmas]] is typically small, a full, magnificent meal is always provided. The staff who remain for the holiday sit at the High Table with the students, who occupy a single long table rather than their separate [[House tables]].
=====Notable Elements of the Feast=====
**The Food**
The feast itself is a magical and lavish affair, prepared by the [[House-Elves]] in the [[Hogwarts kitchens]]. The meal traditionally includes:
  * A hundred fat roast turkeys
  * Mountains of roast and boiled potatoes
  * Platters of chipolatas
  * Tureens of buttered peas and carrots
  * Silver boats of thick, rich gravy and cranberry sauce
  * Stacks of [[Ketchup]] bottles (a particular favourite of [[Ron Weasley]])
  * For dessert, flaming [[Christmas Pudding]]s are served.
**Wizard Crackers**
A staple of the feast is the [[Wizard Crackers]]. These magical party favours go off with a bang like a cannon shot, enveloping everyone in a cloud of blue smoke. Instead of the simple trinkets found in [[Muggle]] crackers, [[Wizard Crackers]] contain surprising items such as live mice, admiral's hats, non-cheatable playing cards, and genuine wizard's jokes.
=====Role in the Story=====
The [[Christmas]] Feast serves as a backdrop for several key moments and character developments throughout the series.
  * **//Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone//:** [[Harry Potter]]'s first feast is a profoundly happy experience, contrasting sharply with his miserable Christmases with the [[Dursleys]]. It is here he first enjoys the magic of [[Wizard Crackers]] and the camaraderie of the [[Weasley family]]. The event highlights his newfound sense of belonging at [[Hogwarts]].
  * **//Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets//:** The feast occurs while Harry, [[Ron Weasley]], and [[Hermione Granger]] are executing their plan to use the [[Polyjuice Potion]]. It serves as a diversion, allowing them to drug [[Crabbe]] and [[Goyle]] and interrogate [[Draco Malfoy]] while the rest of the school is occupied.
  * **//Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban//:** This feast is attended by very few people. [[Professor Trelawney]] famously refuses to join the table, fearing she will be the thirteenth diner, which she considers a fatal omen. [[Albus Dumbledore]] persuades her to join, but the group was already thirteen-strong due to the presence of [[Peter Pettigrew]] disguised as Scabbers in Ron's pocket, subtly foreshadowing future events.
  * **//Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire//:** The traditional feast is replaced by the [[Yule Ball]], a formal dinner and dance held as part of the [[Triwizard Tournament]].
  * **Later Books:** In //Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix// and //Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince//, Harry spends [[Christmas]] away from [[Hogwarts]], first at [[12 Grimmauld Place]] and then at [[The Burrow]]. This shift marks his growing involvement in the fight against [[Lord Voldemort]] and a move away from the relative safety and innocence of school life.
=====Behind the Scenes=====
The film adaptations of the //Harry Potter// series memorably depict the [[Christmas]] Feast, establishing the grand visual scale of the decorations in the [[Great Hall]]. The enchanted, snow-filled ceiling and the immense [[Christmas]] trees became iconic images associated with a [[Hogwarts]] [[Christmas]] (film). The films often feature the [[Hogwarts Frog Choir]] singing carols, a detail not explicitly linked to the feast in the novels (film).