How did Draco Malfoy become Chinese New Year’s mascot?

The Chinese New Year is soon upon us and 2026’s lunar new year has a surprising mascot: Draco Malfoy, Euronews writes.

Tom Felton, who played Harry Potter’s smirking rival in the movie series, is popping up in Chinese houses, trending on social media, and adorning decorations – with e-commerce sites even selling decor that features Draco’s face.

So, what is the reason?

In Mandarin, the name Malfoy is transliterated as “Ma-er-fu”. The first character means “horse” and the last means “fortune” / “blessing”. Put together, this comes off as rather auspicious considering the upcoming Year of the Horse – a symbol which promises vitality, perseverance and success.

The Malfoy frenzy has spread and Felton has taken notice. He shared an Instagram story about his character becoming a “symbol of Chinese New Year in China”.

The wizard franchise has a huge fanbase in China. According to CGTN, approximately 200m copies of the Harry Potter books have been sold in China since the launch of Chinese versions of JK Rowling’s series in 2000.