Hogwarts Monthly Magazine February 2024 Valentine's Special Issue
Ahh, February, the month of love. It was in the air throughout the month, and almost no one was immune to the vibe. The tension was palpable, and the excitement was sky-high. If you spent the month balancing between trying to be a good student and falling prey to bittersweet romantic thoughts, don't worry; you weren't alone. Catch a glimpse of the mystique of the romantic month of February at Hogwarts, welcome the spring season full of pretty blossoms knocking at your door with open arms, and discover a lot more through this last monthly issue of the Hogwarts Monthly Magazine, while you simultaneously reminisce about your lovey-dovey February shenanigans.
Last Updated
03/03/24
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Spring Festivals Celebrated Around the World
Chapter 11
Ah, spring is the season for beginning a new cycle of life. It arrives in February with bewitching blossoms appearing on flowering plants, lush greenery returning to the boughs, swarms of butterflies and insects coming alive once again to maraud for nectar, birds chirping melodic tunes, and teeming fields rife with bountiful harvests setting countrysides aglow.
The best thing about it for me when I was younger was the end of my Muggle exams around this time of the year, and now while I am at Hogwarts, it still marks for me the wrapping up of one academic term and stepping into another, just like it does for all my fellow witches and wizards. The climate changes from cold and harsher to warm and softer, and the days become windier and brighter at the same time. People with pollen and dust allergies may not be big fans of the dust-carrying and pollen-bearing spring winds that blow from February throughout the subsequent summer months until June. The dust is known to aggravate conditions involving the lungs and upper respiratory tract, such as asthma and seasonal rhinitis, besides being one of the causative factors of a number of seasonal diseases.
However, despite the negatives, most of us love spring and luxuriate in the lively vibe that it brings along with it every single year.
Different countries around the world savor the cheerfulness and merriment of spring in their own unique ways. On this page of our magazine, we have collectively endeavored to bring you accounts of some of the best traditional spring festivals celebrated in different parts of the world, to bring the spring into your garden in more than one way.
February 2 - Groundhog Day
Groundhog Day is observed in the United States and Canada to honor an old tradition from the Middle Ages that was brought to the nation by German immigrants. It coincides with the Christian festival of Candlemas, also known as the feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin, and the time of Imbolc, celebrated by the Celts. The legend says that the emergence of the groundhog or woodchuck from its burrow on this day helps predict the weather for the following six weeks. If the day was sunny and the animal saw its shadow, the next six weeks would be winter, and if the day was cloudy and the animal could not see its shadow, spring would come early and the following six weeks would have mild weather. However, what's interesting here is that the original animals associated with this legend used to be the badger, the Hufflepuff house animal, and the bear, both of which broke their periods of hibernation on this day. The badger came to be substituted by the groundhog in Pennsylvania, in the United States.
- Hiya Debnath, Journalist, Editor-in-Chief, Compiler, Publisher, Hogwarts Monthly Magazine.
February 10 - Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year is one of my favourite festivals. The happiness in the streets is the heart of the celebration for me. A very interesting fact about this festival is that it is not celebrated on the same date every year. In 2022, it was celebrated on the 1st of February, but this year, it was celebrated on the 10th of February. It is also known as the Lunar New Year. This is because the Chinese follow the lunar calendar, which is different from our solar calendar. It is followed not only in China, but also in Japan. Its year consists of 12 months of alternately 29 and 30 days, equal to 354 days, or approximately 12 full lunar cycles, which means that the current year which began on 10 February 2024 will end on 28 January 2025. Each month is referred by a number and by the name of an animal. The animals used to refer to the months are in order the rat, ox, tiger, hare, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, fowl, dog, and pig. The year that we are in currently, by this calendar, falls in the Chinese month of the dragon, and is hence referred to as the Year of the Dragon. The last Year of the Dragon had been the Chinese year 4698 (which arrived on 5th February 2000 by the Gregorian calendar). Chinese New Year is celebrated to remove the bad and the old, and welcome the good and the new. Something that many people and children revel in during this time of year is receiving lucky money in a red envelope. But why a red envelope? Red is the lucky colour in China because it is associated with life-generating energy (the sun, blood, and fire)—and is the colour of celebrations and prosperity. It is also the favourite colour of the three stellar deities - Fuxing, Luxing, and Shouxing, better known collectively as Fulushou in Chinese mythology. These deities are in conflict every year with a different god or goddess, depending upon the constellation in the sky during the Chinese New Year. The most important and popular tradition observed during Chinese New Year, however, is the 'Reunion Dinner', during which the whole family gathers round a table for a meal that includes many lucky foods, such as fish and dumplings. The festivities lasted for seventeen days, ending on 24 February, with the Lantern Festival. I hope all who celebrated had a very good Chinese New Year.
- Kyra, Journalist, Proof-reader, Hogwarts Monthly Magazine.
February 13 - Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras, literally meaning "Fat Tuesday" in French, is celebrated in France on Shrove Tuesday (the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday), which marks the close of the pre-Lenten season. It derives its name from the custom of using all the fats in the home prior to Lent in preparation for fasting and abstinence. In the United States, the major center for Mardi Gras celebrations is in New Orleans. The Mardi Gras festivities commence 10 days prior to Shrove Tuesday and coincide with the Carnival Season, which continues from the Epiphany (or Twelfth Night) up to Mardi Gras. This period is a hullabaloo of excitement with the famous city-wide parades characteristic of Mardi Gras. The most popular attractions of these parades are the multi-colored floats, which are decorated in various themes and created, paraded, and manned by Krewes. The king (usually a Krewe member whose identity is kept secret) is seated ceremoniously on the float and often hurls gifts at the crowds gathered to watch the parade. These gifts vary depending upon the Krewe and range from custom doubloons to beads, Zulu coconuts, food items, cups, cutlery, jewelry, stuffed toys, and more. If you want a gift hurled your way, say the Mardi Gras-specific phrase, "Throw me something cool, Mister!" and you may encounter a few carefully aimed ones lobbed your way to take home. These gifts are called Mardi Gras "throws", and while people can get competitive trying to collect as many of these as possible, some smart ones carry baskets to put their collected items in and call them their "haul". If you've finished photographing yourself with your "haul" and preferably also posted it on your social media, you've successfully completed your Mardi Gras Carnival celebrations for the year. Another edible and popular attraction of Mardi Gras is the King Cake, which is traditionally made from braided Danish dough and is essentially a blend of coffee cake and cinnamon roll, usually iced in yellow, green, and purple—the colors of Mardi Gras—and frequently packed with fruit fillings and decadent cream cheeses. It is ring or oval in shape, and a tiny plastic baby (traditionally golden) representing baby Jesus during his birth in Bethlehem is baked into the King Cake by the King or Queen or whoever hosts the celebration that year, and whoever gets the baby while eating the King Cake is declared the next King or Queen and is obliged to host the celebration and supply the King Cake the next year. The colors of Mardi Gras, that is, yellow (gold), green, and purple, represent Power, Faith, and Justice, respectively. I hope you enjoyed reading about the joyous carnival of Mardi Gras.
- Hiya Debnath, Journalist, Editor-in-Chief, Compiler, Publisher, Hogwarts Monthly Magazine.
February 14 - Basant Panchami
Basant Panchami is a festival that holds a special place in my heart. Celebrated in late January or early February, it welcomes the arrival of spring in India. It's a day filled with vibrant yellow, symbolizing the blossoming flowers and the bright sunshine that comes with the season. Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, music, arts, and science, is evoked and worshipped on this day, highlighting the importance of learning and creativity in our lives. I love how this festival brings people together, dressed in yellow attire, enjoying yellow sweets, and flying kites in the clear blue sky. I extend my warmest wishes and heartfelt regards to all those who celebrated this auspicious occasion.
- olivia., Marketer, Hogwarts Monthly Magazine.
February 11–18 - Carnival dé Cadiz
Some of you may have heard of the Carnival of Cadiz, especially if you live in Spain. The word 'carnival' always makes me jump up in excitement. I think this year's carnival was the most colorful one in centuries. But why do we celebrate this gala event? Good question. The port town of Cadiz initially copied the carnival of Venice, a city with which it had much trade. However, later, Cadiz became the main center of this carnival, and all the fun-filled and dazzling activities in the streets of Cadiz made it known as the most boisterous port in Spain during the festival. Nowadays, the carnival has morphed into a more modern-day event celebrated with a lot of street-party-like fun. The Carnival dé Cadiz is celebrated from February 11–18. Don't worry if you missed it this year; it will still be there next year! It is now observed as a fiesta, including the Grand Finale of the Falla Theatre Competition, which is one of its major attractions; a Grand Parade, also known as the Gran Cabalgata (or Great Parade), on the first Sunday; and open-air gastronomic events organized by various carnival groups, while a local holiday offers a more relaxed atmosphere with various performances. The subsequent days from February 13th to February 18th feature various lively affairs such as the Quema Dios Momo, street performances, and the Carnival Humor Parade, or Cabalgata del Humor (or Comedy Parade), through the old town on the last weekend. That is a lot of celebrating, but that is exactly what makes it such a fun festival to be part of!
- Noah Ardof, Journalist, Editor, Hogwarts Monthly Magazine.
It looks like February, the shortest month of the year, is not so short on celebrations after all.
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