There’s a reason Harry Potter fans love cozying up with the series on repeat during the holiday season—the audiobooks aren’t just comforting and nostalgic but full of iconic winter scenes. The snow-covered grounds of Hogwarts are sure to put anyone in the holiday spirit.
As Harry finds a sense of belonging at Hogwarts, the holidays prove to be times of real connection and love, reminding Harry that he’s not alone as he faces increasingly powerful enemies and struggles with the responsibility thrust upon him. Whether it’s snowball fighting with the Weasleys or time at the Burrow surrounded by loved ones, the holiday moments in the series are among the most heartwarming.
For those who love decorating, the Hogwarts castle is stunning on a normal day, but add a decked-out Great Hall, snow falling on the grounds outside, and fires roaring in the common rooms, and there’s nothing cozier! For those who love Christmas dinner, Hogwarts has the best, most extravagant meals around. And for those whose hearts melt for the camaraderie of found-family gatherings, hearing Harry grow closer to his friends year after year will truly touch your soul. While there are many Christmas and holiday moments throughout the seven audiobooks, here are our 10 favourites.
1. Harry’s first Christmas at Hogwarts
While we don’t get to hear much about Harry’s Christmases before he arrived at Hogwarts, it’s safe to say any holiday with the Dursleys would have been lackluster at best. That’s what makes Harry’s first Christmas at Hogwarts in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone so wonderful. It’s the first time the Great Hall is adorned with decorations, the first decadent Christmas feast in the story, and the first time he receives genuine presents from his new friends Hagrid, Ron, and Hermione. He also scores an invisibility cloak, a hand-me-down that an anonymous gifter slips into his present pile, adding something special to the already delightful holiday. Harry is even given a Molly Weasley special: his very own hand-knit sweater. This Christmas is a turning point in Harry’s life, showing how different his time at Hogwarts is for him and strengthening the bonds with who will become his chosen family.
From Chapter 12: The Mirror of Erised
Performed by Jim Dale
From Chapter 12: The Mirror of Erised
Performed by Stephen Fry
2. A holiday Hogsmeade trip
After his uncle refuses to sign his permission slip, Harry is banned from going to Hogsmeade, a nearby wizarding village with shops and pubs aplenty. Much to his disappointment, Ron, Hermione, and the other students are granted a trip in the winter to do Christmas shopping and get away for an afternoon. His disappointment doesn’t last long, though. With the help of an early Christmas present from Fred and George Weasley and his handy-dandy invisibility cloak, Harry sneaks away from Hogwarts to be with his friends anyway. While there, the group shops for sweets, drinks Butterbeer™ by the fire, and enjoys the blizzard raging outside, casting the whole town in Christmas cheer.
From Chapter 10: The Marauder's Map
Performed by Jim Dale
From Chapter 10: The Marauder's Map
Performed by Stephen Fry
3. Christmas with the Weasleys
In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry spends Christmas at the Weasleys’ home, the Burrow. On Christmas Eve, the group piles into the living room, the house decorated with dozens of paper chains, to listen to a Christmas broadcast. The Weasley kids play Exploding Snap, the fireplace warms the group through, and Mr. Weasley brings along eggnog for the festivities. It’s a snow-filled, cozy Christmas at exactly the right time, as the series speeds to its end, bringing with it more dark times and tougher battles ahead.
From Chapter 16: A Very Frosty Christmas
Performed by Jim Dale
From Chapter 16: A Very Frosty Christmas
Performed by Stephen Fry
4. Snowball fights at Hogwarts
While this is part of Harry’s first Christmas at Hogwarts, it deserves a shout-out of its own. After a Christmas meal, Harry, Ron, George, Fred, and Percy Weasley take to the snow-covered grounds of Hogwarts for a snowball fight. Then, exhausted, they retire to the fire-warm Gryffindor common room where they play chess and enjoy each other’s company. George and Fred can’t resist playing a prank on Percy, and the shenanigans continue, perfectly capturing that exhausted warmth left behind after a truly wonderful holiday with friends.
From Chapter 12: The Mirror of Erised
Performed by Jim Dale
From Chapter 12: The Mirror of Erised
Performed by Stephen Fry
5. The Yule Ball
As part of the Triwizard Tournament, Hogwarts hosts a ball on Christmas Day to encourage camaraderie with the visiting schools. With more students than ever staying at Hogwarts to attend, the Christmas holiday in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire has a rowdy excitement to it that sets it apart from the other years. Harry, Ron, and Hermione spend the lead-up to the ball figuring out who to ask as their dates, stressing about what to wear, and navigating the awkward excitement of early crushes. This Christmas and the ball are some of the first times that we see the trio really begin to grow up. Plus, the pomp and circumstance for a lighthearted event is so fun to see—Hogwarts can really pull out all the dazzling, magical stops to make the place shine.
From Chapter 23: The Yule Ball
Performed by Jim Dale
From Chapter 23: The Yule Ball
Performed by Stephen Fry
6. Christmas Eve in Godric’s Hollow
Christmas takes a somber tone in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Away from Hogwarts, Harry and Hermione wind up in Godric’s Hollow, where Harry lived as a baby and where his parents were killed. Suddenly, the sound of carolers reminds them that it’s Christmas Eve. In Godric's Hollow, Harry and Hermione visit Harry's parents' graves. It's the first time he'd ever seen them. In a moment of quiet honour, Hermione creates a wreath of Christmas roses for Harry to lay on their grave. While it’s a sad Christmas, it’s also a reminder of what has been lost and what they're fighting for. It's also a touching moment between Harry and Hermione, and a mark of their deep friendship to experience it together.
From Chapter 16: Godric's Hollow
Performed by Jim Dale
From Chapter 16: Godric's Hollow
Performed by Stephen Fry
7. Harry is given a Firebolt for Christmas
There’s always that one special gift that stays with you for years, and for Harry, it’s his Firebolt. On Christmas Day, he opens a mysterious present to find a Firebolt, a state-of-the-art Quidditch broom, and his dream gift! He’d only been ogling it every day! With a hefty price tag and sleek features, it’s a gift Harry never would have bought for himself, but one that was well-deserved. We won’t spoil who the mystery gift giver ends up being; the reveal makes the present even more meaningful for Harry.
From Chapter 11: The Firebolt
Performed by Jim Dale
From Chapter 11: The Firebolt
Performed by Stephen Fry
8. The Great Hall decorations
The decorated Great Hall is something to look forward to every year at Christmastime. The descriptions are stunning, no matter what, but in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, it’s truly spectacular. That holiday, the Triwizard Tournament brings students and faculty from other wizarding schools, so Hogwarts spares no expense in wowing them. There are suits of armour charmed to sing Christmas carols, everlasting icicles along the staircases, and Hogwarts’ typical dozen Christmas trees done up to the nines with pizazz.
From Chapter 22: The Unexpected Task
Performed by Jim Dale
From Chapter 22: The Unexpected Task
Performed by Stephen Fry
9. Flitwick’s fairy lights
Harry Potter audiobooks are rife with stunning little details, none more charming than hearing how the professors decorate for the holidays. One particularly sweet holiday detail in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is Professor Flitwick’s classroom, decorated with real-life fairy lights! Fairies! As lights! There’s nothing more quintessentially Hogwarts Christmas than a little magical detail like that!
From Chapter 10: The Marauder's Map
Performed by Jim Dale
From Chapter 10: The Marauder's Map
Performed by Stephen Fry
10. Dobby decorates the Room of Requirement for Christmas
Dobby the house-elf, who is steadfast in his loyalty to Harry, decides to prove his love and appreciation in a most merry and bright way in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. When Harry arrives at the Room of Requirement for a final meeting of Dumbledore’s Army before holiday break, he’s flabbergasted at the rather unique décor that Dobby has adorned the space with. He hurries to tear down the many baubles and garlands bearing his face before the rest of the D.A. arrives—only for Luna Lovegood to walk in and take notice of the mistletoe. Hilarious and charming, this sweet, silly moment adds a bit of levity to the growing tensions at Hogwarts and underscores how true a friend Dobby remains through it all.
From Chapter 21: The Eye of the Snake
Performed by Jim Dale
From Chapter 21: The Eye of the Snake
Performed by Stephen Fry
