Hallowe'en

"Point me!"

This article is about the event. You may be looking for the date.

Pumpkins, one of the decorations of Hogwarts' Hallowe'en feast

"A thousand live bats fluttered from the walls and ceiling while a thousand more swooped over the tables in low black clouds, making the candles in the pumpkin stutter."

—The Great Hall on Hallowe'en^[src]

Hallowe'en, a contraction of "All Hallows' Evening", is a holiday celebrated by both Muggles and the Wizarding World on 31 October. Typical festive Hallowe'en activities include; trick-or-treating, attending costume parties, decorating, carving pumpkins into jack-o'-lanterns, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, visiting haunted attractions, playing pranks, and telling scary stories. This applies to the wizarding world also, but with their own magical twist.

Recent events

The British Ministry of Magic has attempted to impose restrictions on how wizards are allowed to celebrate Hallowe'en, presumably in consideration to the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy. Celestina Warbeck vocally disagreed with this proposed legislation, a move that was considered controversial on her part.^[1] At Hogwarts School, there is a feast every year on Hallowe'en and the first Hogsmeade weekend of the year usually occurs around the same day. Rubeus Hagrid grew enormous pumpkins for the feast by magic.

Harry Voldemort 1981 — Voldemort attempting to murder Harry Potter, after murdering his parents

On this day in 1981, the First Wizarding War ended with the disappearance of Lord Voldemort after he murdered James and Lily Potter, and attempted to murder infant Harry Potter.

In 1991, the first year Charms class topic was Wingardium Leviosa, the Levitation Charm. Later, the Hallowe'en feast was interrupted by the arrival of a Mountain Troll. Harry Potter and Ron Weasley saved Hermione Granger from the Troll in the girls' bathroom.

Deathday Party Pottermore — Sir Nicholas de Mimsy Porpington's 500th Deathday Party

In 1992, Sir Nicholas de Mimsy Porpington's 500th Deathday Party took place in one of the roomier dungeons at Hogwarts. It was attended by many ghosts, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. Ginny Weasley, under the influence of Tom Riddle's Diary, opened the Chamber of Secrets for the first time in fifty years. The basilisk that was released from the Chamber petrified Mrs Norris.

In 1993, Sirius Black entered Hogwarts Castle and attacked the Fat Lady when she refused to give him passage to Gryffindor Tower.

In 1994, the Goblet of Fire chose the Triwizard champions — Viktor Krum for Durmstrang; Fleur Delacour for Beauxbatons; Cedric Diggory for Hogwarts; and an unexpected fourth champion, Harry Potter.

Hallowe'en feast

Main article: Hallowe'en feast

The Hallowe'en Feast at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry occurs on the 31st of October every year. The Hallowe'en Feast is usually festooned with sweets-filled pumpkins, bats, orange streamers, water snakes, goblets of coloured candy and all sorts of Halloween-related decorations. There is usually some entertainment at the end, which may be by the Hogwarts ghosts, who pop out of the walls and do formation gliding.

It is a highly anticipated feast which most Hogwarts students look forward to every year.

Behind the scenes

Hallowe'en is a very important date in the Harry Potter books. Either during or after the feast in the first four books something fateful happens. The troll, the Chamber of Secrets re-opening, Sirius Black's attack on the Fat Lady, and Harry Potter's name emerging from the Goblet of Fire. In the seventh book, we discover that the date, 31 October is significant, as it is the date of James and Lily Potter's death in 1981.
Hallowe'en can be also called "All Hallows' Eve" (meaning "All Saints' Eve", as 1 November is All Saints' Day), which shares part of its name with the Deathly Hallows. All Hallows' Eve was the date Harry first cheated death and defeated Voldemort, while the Deathly Hallows helped him cheat death and defeat Voldemort again with the Elder Wand.