Religion--couple more thoughts

[c_voth312]

No: HPFGUIDX 40781

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., dfrankiswork at n... wrote:
> Religion
> 
> Some listies have pointed out that Christmas and Easter are just 
the names of school vacations in Britain, and therefore don't 
necessarily have religious connotations.  For many British children, 
I am sure this is true.
> 
> However, at Hogwarts, they *do* celebrate Christmas (we don't 
really know about Easter).  Hagrid puts up a Christmas tree.  Peeves 
sings Christmas carols: that he makes up his own words doesn't change 
the fact that carols are part of the culture he is lampooning (side 
note: it is amazing how much JKR packs in, isn't it?  Even our list 
pastime of FILK writing has its parallel in the Potterverse).  It is 
misleading to say that the one has pagan origins and the other is now 
purely cultural: they are part of a culture profoundly influenced by 
Christianity.
> 
A couple other things which point towards a Christian influence:

~Some of the characters names--I can think of James and Peter right 
off the top of my head--are Biblical in origin (or at least, have 
very strong associations with Biblical people).
~The wizard attitude towards snakes and Parselmouths.  The notion of 
serpents as evil is primarily a Judeo-Christian concept (think the 
Garden of Eden); several Eastern and pre-Christian beliefs look on 
the snake as a symbol of wisdom and rebirth.

I agree with the idea that this doesn't necessarily indicate that the 
wizards are Christian (although they could be), merely that they, 
like the rest of European culture, have been strongly influenced by 
that philosophy.  JMO, as always.

~Christi