Christmas

Christmas is a primarily Christian holiday celebrated on 25 December in most countries (including the United Kingdom). The holiday ostensibly celebrates the birth of the Christian saviour, Jesus of Nazareth, though many in other religions or who possess a secular disposition nevertheless celebrate the holiday. The most famous tradition of Christmas is that Father Christmas flies around the world on a reindeer-pulled sleigh to deliver presents to all the good children of the world.

Students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry go on a few weeks' holidays for the Christmas season -- though some students (such as Harry Potter), choose to stay at Hogwarts. It is not known what religious connotations the holiday has to the wizarding world. Christmas is often marked by a feast of some type. Eggnog is often served on or around Christmas-time.

Hogwarts celebrations
For Christmas at Hogwarts, the Great Hall is decorated with twelve towering Christmas trees, festoons of holly, mistletoe, and other Christmas-oriented accents. In addition to this, the school has been known to be decorated with real live fairies, which fly around the trees; everlasting icicles which are applied to the banisters of the Grand Staircase; and warm, dry snow which falls from the Enchanted Ceiling of the Great Hall. Also, the suits of armour around Hogwarts are known to have been charmed to sing carols.

Christmas holidays
The students can choose to stay at Hogwarts Castle or return home for the holidays, which begin shortly before Christmas Day and end sometime after New Year's Day. A professor generally goes among the students making a list of those who want to stay for the winter holidays. A notable occasion upon which a majority of students stayed at Hogwarts for Christmas was in 1994, when Hogwarts hosted the Triwizard Tournament and the Yule Ball held on Christmas Day. On Harry Potter's first Christmas at Hogwarts, it had been by far the best Christmas he had ever had.

Christmas presents
These are the presents that some people were known to have received:

Between 1985 and 1990

 * Dudley Dursley - a computerized robot from Aunt Marge
 * Harry Potter - a box of dog biscuits from Aunt Marge

1991

 * Harry Potter - a roughly cut wooden flute from Hagrid, a fifty-pence piece from the Dursleys, an emerald green jumper and a box of homemade fudge from Mrs. Weasley, a box of Chocolate Frogs from Hermione, and his father's Invisibility cloak from Albus Dumbledore (anonymously)
 * Ron Weasley - a maroon jumper from his mother, a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans from Hermione
 * Fred Weasley - a blue jumper with a yellow "F" on the front from his mother
 * George Weasley - a blue jumper with a yellow "G" on the front from his mother.
 * Percy Weasley - a red jumper with a yellow "P" on the front from his mother.

1992

 * Harry Potter - a toothpick from the Dursleys, a tin of treacle fudge from Hagrid, Flying with the Cannons from Ron, a luxury eagle-feather quill from Hermione, and a jumper and a plum cake from Mrs. Weasley

1993

 * Harry Potter - a scarlet jumper with the Gryffindor lion on the front, some Christmas cake, a dozen mince pies and a box of nut brittle from Mrs. Weasley, and a Firebolt from Sirius Black (anonymously)
 * Ron Weasley - another maroon jumper and a pair of maroon socks from his mother,

1994

 * Harry Potter - a red left sock with broomstick pattern and green right sock with Snitch pattern from Dobby, a single tissue from the Dursleys, Quidditch Teams of Britain and Ireland from Hermione, a bag of Dungbombs from Ron, a magical penknife from Sirius Black, a large box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs and Fizzing Whizbees from Hagrid, and a green jumper with a Hungarian Horntail dragon on the front (in commemoration of the first task of the Triwizard Tournament) and several mince pies from Mrs. Weasley
 * Ron Weasley - a Chudley Cannons hat from Harry, a pair of violet socks and a jumper from his mother (both of which were given to Dobby). After paying ten Galleons for a pair of Omnioculars to give Ron at the 1994 Quidditch World Cup, Harry had jokingly told him that he wasn't getting a Christmas present for ten years.
 * Dobby - an old pair of mustard yellow socks from Harry Potter, a pair of violet socks and a jumper from Ron Weasley

1995



 * Harry Potter - a homework planner from Hermione, Practical Defensive Magic and Its Use Against the Dark Arts from Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, a furry brown wallet with fangs from Hagrid, a small working model of a Firebolt from Nymphadora Tonks, a large box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans from Ron, a jumper and some mince pies from Mrs. Weasley, and a painting of himself from Dobby
 * Ron Weasley - a Broom Compass from Harry, and a homework planner from Hermione
 * Hermione Granger - New Theory of Numerology from Harry, and an "unusual" perfume from Ron
 * Percy Weasley - a jumper from his mother (which he sent back, unopened)
 * Kreacher - a patchwork quilt from Hermione
 * Arthur Weasley – fuse-wire and screwdrivers from Harry

1996

 * Harry Potter - a jumper with a Golden Snitch on the front from Mrs. Weasley, a large box of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes products from Fred and George, a bag of maggots from Kreacher.
 * Ron Weasley - a Sweetheart necklace from Lavender Brown
 * Molly Weasley - a midnight blue witch's hat and a golden necklace from Fred and George

Behind the scenes

 * In the PS1 video game adaption of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone the parcel containing the Cloak of Invisibility sent by Dumbledore is delivered by Hedwig to Harry on the Hogwarts attic. Peeves steals the parcel and forces Harry to a race across the various roof beams to see who is fastest. If Harry wins, Peeves will throw Harry's parcel back to him.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone 
 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (video game)
 * LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
 * LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
 * Pottermore