Users on Chinese social media platforms like Douyin and Xiaohongshu are sharing videos where they stick red square papers with Malfoy's signature smirk on doors, walls, and even fridges.
As the Year of the Horse approaches, a unique decoration has appeared on the doors of many Chinese homes. It’s not a horse but Draco Malfoy from the Harry Potter series, who’s unexpectedly become a symbol of good luck during the Chinese New Year.
The reason is a play on words—Malfoy's name is pronounced "ma er fu" in Chinese, where "ma" means horse and "fu" means luck. It also evokes the phrase "ma lai fu," which means welcoming luck in the Year of the Horse.
Some people even stick the posters upside down, similar to traditional "fu" characters, placed this way to signal that luck is "arriving." Draco Malfoy was portrayed by British actor Tom Felton in the original films.
You can buy the posters on the Chinese platform Taobao, but many people print them themselves. The trend quickly spread beyond China—it’s popped up on TikTok, X, and Reddit. A video explaining this phenomenon, posted on January 31, garnered over 1.5 million views and 186,000 likes by February 2.
Many are amused that a character known as a villain has become a symbol of luck. One commenter wrote: “Chinese people are incredibly funny; I love it.” Others joked about Malfoy’s famous line, “My father will hear about this!” asking: “Does his dad know about this?”
