Member-only story
It’s Harry Potter’s Birthday and We Should All Celebrate
It needs to be a national holiday
As I’m sure many of you already know, July 31st is Harry Potter’s birthday. I imagine more than a few hardcore fans will raise a mug of butterbeer in celebration before the day is over (sadly, I am fresh out of butterbeer). If you are wondering why I remember Harry’s birthday, it’s because I’ve always been good at remembering important birthdays, from Springsteen’s (Sep 23) to Hemingway’s (July 21). I can usually even remember my kids’ birthdays within a week or so. But Harry Potter? Why would I remember him when I have no clue when characters like Daniel Sempere from The Shadow of the Wind or Jake Barnes from The Sun Also Rises came into the world?
Well, for one thing, Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling told us his birthday, something few writers bother to do (she also chose her own birthday for the character, so happy birthday to her today as well). Admittedly, it was important for us to know the date given that it was a key plot point later (no spoilers here in case you are one of the five people who have never read the books or seen the films). The birthday is something we remember because it matters.
The other reason we remember and celebrate it is because Harry is the main character in a literary and film phenomenon and was a key part of…
