Why such a point of characters' birthdays?

[lifeavantgarde]

No: HPFGUIDX 111120

> Justine:
> Darnit.  The first news article on the site was from March 15th, 
and 
> the twins' birthday, noted as April 1st on the site, was missed.  
> Say it ain't so, Jo!
> 

Stefanie:
Is anyone else confused...because I sure am. Mugglenet's article on 
the release of the website is marked down as May 15th
(http://www.mugglenet.com/fusion3/fullnews.php?id=1183), 
but Justine is right: the first news article on Jo's website is 
labelled as March 15th. Checking on the Mugglenet news archives, 
there are several articles on March 15th, but certainly none dealing 
with the release of a website! Is this just a slip on JKR's site? 
(between March and May...I know I've made the mistake before) Any 
other confirmations out there?

Anywho...as I was foodshopping, I brainstormed on this: What do we 
know of wizarding tradition as far as "national holidays" or the 
like. It would seem that the defeat of Grindelwald or the birthday 
of some famous wizard from days of yore (::cou[Merlin's birthday]
gh::)would be celebrated as a holiday. Perhaps they are, but 
Hogwarts doesn't have off for said days? Harry has grown up Muggle 
and wouldn't really know about these holidays unless he was told. In 
any case, we don't know of anyone, living or dead, who's birthday 
falls between 5/15 and 7/30...holiday or no, the jury's still out

Stefanie