Magical Christmas Illuminations in Japan and Rupert Grint at Christmas Light Switch-On
Let the magic of a Harry Potter Christmas light up the festive season if you live near the village of Highgate in London or Grand Front Osaka shopping mall in Japan.
Light Switch-on in Highgate
Rupert Grint will be heading to Highgate to do the honors of switching on the village’s Christmas light display outside the Angel Inn at 4 p.m. on November 23.
The event is usually funded mainly by local traders, schools, and authorities. However, additional funding is needed to support this year’s light display because councils cannot contribute. A JustGiving donation page has been set up to collect donations for the display, with a goal to raise £4,000 ($4,500):
Each year, a group of three volunteers get together to organise the Christmas lights for all to enjoy in Highgate Village. It is a non-profitable effort to raise funding for the cost of the lights, which come purely from sponsors, institutional donations, shop-keepers and the general public. Let’s make it happen again this year – it’s needed perhaps more this year than ever to bring a bit of cheer for the people of Highgate and the wider community to enjoy. Please give what you can – it’s truly appreciated!
Harry Potter Illuminations in Osaka
From November 10 to December 25, Potter fans in Osaka, Japan’s largest city in the Kansai region, are in for a treat. Grand Front Osaka shopping mall will be creating an enchanting Christmas celebration inspired by Harry Potter. There, you’ll find the mall will be taken over by “a host of Harry Potter decorations and illuminations,” with the highlight being a 43-foot-tall Christmas tree on the first floor of the North Building.
Christmas in the Wizarding World of “Harry Potter” illuminations
In the evenings, the mall will host a light show “complete with projections featuring the four Hogwarts Houses’ respective signature colours and animal emblems,” with footsteps appearing on the staircases in the tree. The show will take place every 20 minutes. You can watch it between 5 p.m. and midnight on weekdays and starting at 4 p.m. on weekends and holidays. Please note: On opening day, the first light show will begin at 7 p.m.
In addition to this, nearly 100 trees on the west side of the North Building are going to be decorated with 33,000 LED lights, which will light up at 5 p.m. each day. Potter fans should keep an eye out because 16 of these trees will feature special Harry Potter-themed decorations. The Harry Potter trees will be on display throughout the same period as the Harry Potter Christmas celebration, and the rest of the trees will remain until February 28, 2023.
