Importance of Halloween

[xp39c]

No: HPFGUIDX 41784

Jennifer Boggess Ramon wrote:

> Given that there's a Feast at Hogwarts every Halloween, I had 
> imagined that the Wizarding World celebrated it as sort of their 
> ethnic holiday.  It doesn't seem to have either the Pagan religious 
> associations of Samhain or the Christian ones of All Hallow's Eve  
> for them.

I think the reason why important events happen on Halloween every 
year is not because it's Halloween, but the fact that the first feast 
since the school year started is on that date.  In PS/SS, Quirrell 
wanted to check out the third floor corridor alone without anyone 
noticing, so he had to wait until the Halloween feast to get all the 
students out of the way.  In CoS, Riddle needed Ginny to be able to 
go to the girls' bathroom and come out with the basilisk alone.  In 
PoA, Sirius waited for a time when he could possibly sneak into the 
Gryffindor Common room when no one was there so he can find 
Scabbers.  And in GoF the feast was the natural time for the 
announcement of the champions.

--Hei Lun