The mischievous young wizard "Draco Malfoy" has become a symbol of good luck this Chinese New Year. Chinese netizens came up with the idea of using the name "Malfoy," which sounds like the words for "horse" and "fortune," to create home decorations for the Year of the Horse, sparking a widespread social media sensation. Even Tom Felton, the actor who plays Malfoy, shared the trend.
This unexpected popularity of the character from the famous Harry Potter films began with Malfoy's Chinese name "Mǎ ěr fú" (马尔福), composed of characters meaning "horse" (马) and "fortune" (福). It is a playful take on the phrase “马来福” (mǎ lái fú), which means welcoming prosperity in the Year of the Horse. Coinciding with the Chinese zodiac's Year of the Horse, Draco Malfoy's name became a blessing meaning "the horse that brings fortune," leading to his distinctive smirking face appearing on home decorations welcoming the new year in many Chinese households.
Normally during Chinese New Year, people put up red paper strips or diamond-shaped red papers with the character "福" (Fu), often hung upside down to symbolize "fortune arriving"—because the upside-down character sounds like "arriving" in Chinese.
But this year, the major e-commerce platform Taobao is filled with stickers, fridge magnets, and decorations featuring Malfoy. On Weibo, China's main social media, netizens share pictures of him with messages like "Share this picture to receive good luck." Some humorously reference the phrase "Felix Felicis!" (luck potion) from the story to express wishes for good fortune.
This trend reached Tom Felton, the actor who plays Draco Malfoy, who shared an Instagram story about his character becoming a "Chinese New Year symbol in China." His response excited Chinese fans greatly, sparking a hashtag translated as "The real Malfoy is 100% funny."
Chinese fans' passion for the magical world remains strong. The first Harry Potter film's re-release earned over 90 million yuan (about 409 million baht) in just three days. To meet this overwhelming popularity, Warner Bros. Discovery announced plans to open "The Making of Harry Potter," the world's largest studio tour, in Shanghai by 2027.
/BBC