An unexpected figure has appeared in Lunar New Year decorations across China this year, with Draco Malfoy from the Harry Potter series turning up on doors, walls, and festive ornaments in place of more traditional symbols of luck and prosperity.
A Name That Sounds Like Good Fortune
The surge in interest is linked to the Chinese translation of Malfoy’s name, Ma-er-fu, which contains characters associated with “horse” and “fortune.” With the upcoming Year of the Horse, the name’s sound and meaning have taken on an auspicious tone for many households preparing for the holiday.
Tom Felton, the actor who played Draco Malfoy, is best known for his role in the Harry Potter films. This year, his character’s image is appearing in some Chinese homes as part of seasonal decorations, a shift driven by the wordplay in the name rather than a formal marketing campaign.
How The Trend Shows Up In Homes
Ahead of Lunar New Year, many families in China decorate their doors with couplets, which are pairs of auspicious phrases wishing for health and prosperity. Others place fuzi, red square papers printed with the Chinese character for prosperity, around their homes.
These fuzi are often hung upside down because the word for “upside down” sounds the same as the word for “arrival,” creating a phrase that implies good fortune has arrived. This year, some people have replaced the traditional characters with images of Malfoy’s face, sometimes turned upside down, keeping the same symbolic meaning.
On Chinese social media, users have shared photos showing couplets or images of Malfoy’s familiar smirk used in place of more conventional designs.
Online Merchants Join In
Sellers on the e-commerce platform Taobao have begun offering stickers and magnets featuring the character, adapting the trend into a range of novelty decorations. Other users have posted images with captions encouraging friends to share them for good luck.
On the social media site Weibo, one user described the decorations as “an oriental new year with magical elements,” while another referenced “Felix Felicis,” the luck potion from the Harry Potter series.
The Actor Takes Notice
The trend has also reached Tom Felton himself. He reshared an Instagram story about his character becoming a “symbol of Chinese New Year in China,” which in turn sparked more discussion and enthusiasm online.
After his response circulated, more fans commented on social media, with one popular hashtag translating to “Malfoy himself is 100% hilarious.”
The Broader Popularity Of Harry Potter In China
The Harry Potter franchise has a large following in China, where hundreds of millions of copies of the books have been sold. When the first film in the series was re-released in 2020, it earned more than 90 million yuan, or about $13.6 million, in three days.
That interest is set to be reinforced in the coming years. Warner Bros Discovery has announced plans to open the largest Making Of Harry Potter studio tour in Shanghai in 2027, adding to the franchise’s presence in the country.
Featured image credits: Taobao
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