Users on Chinese social platforms Douyin and Xiaohongshu are sharing videos of themselves sticking posters of Malfoy’s signature smirk on doors, walls, or even fridges.
With the Year of the Horse approaching, an unusual decoration has appeared on the doors of many Chinese homes. It’s not a horse, but Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter, who has unexpectedly become a symbol of luck during the Chinese New Year. This quirky trend is reported by BBC.
The reason? A play on words - Malfoy’s name in Chinese is pronounced “ma er fu,” with “ma” meaning horse and “fu” meaning luck. It also echoes the phrase “ma lai fu,” which is about welcoming fortune in the Year of the Horse.
Some people even stick the posters upside down, just like the traditional “fu” characters placed this way to signify that luck is “coming.” Draco Malfoy was portrayed in the original films by British actor Tom Felton.
You can snag these posters on the Chinese platform Taobao, though many folks print them themselves. The trend quickly spread outside of China — it’s been popping up on TikTok, X, and Reddit. A video explaining this phenomenon, posted on January 31, racked up over 1.5 million views and 186,000 likes in just 48 hours.
Many are amused that a character known as a villain has become a symbol of luck. One commenter wrote, “Chinese people are incredibly hilarious, I love it.” Others made jokes referencing Malfoy’s famous line “My father will hear about this!” asking, “Does his father know about this?”
