On International Harry Potter Day today, all that Harry Potter fans, AKA Potterheads in the city, will be talking about are wands, magic potions, spells and more. And if an epic Harry Potter party is on your mind, then we have the most magical guide for the ultimate bash for grownups.

What is Harry Potter Day?

International Harry Potter Day was officially declared by David Cameron, the Prime Minister of Britain at the time, in 2012. It is designated to be on May 2, the day Harry defeated Lord Voldemort during the Battle of Hogwarts.

Get the invites & dress code right

The invite: Skip the evite and go for craft invites resembling Hogwarts acceptance letters. It’ll not only showcase your creativity but will be equally fun DIY sesh.

Dress code: Encourage costumes, obviously! Suggest robes, house colours, favourite character attire, or ‘Wizarding World Chic’ (a style trend inspired by the fashion seen in the Harry Potter films). Mention it on the invite.


Décor & ambience

* An entrance fit for Potterheads: Use a brick-patterned fabric or a cardboard sheet to create a Platform 9 ¾ entrance. Dim lighting is key throughout the party space.

* Floating candles: Suspend LED pillar candles from the ceiling for effect. Create a sky using fabric and dot it with fairy lights.

* House pride: Fancy and playful Harry Potter merchandise is available online. You can either buy Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw banners or even create your own using coloured felt or fabric – after all, you have almost a week to put this together.

* Create some magic: For aesthetics, randomly old books, potion bottles (use coloured water, glitter, and label them ‘Confusing concoction’ or ‘Polyjuice Potion’), quills, and “flying keys” (old keys with paper wings). Print ‘Wanted’ posters featuring faces of your guests.

Serve up some wizarding beverages

Pumpkin juice: Blend apple cider (or apple juice) with pumpkin puree, a touch of apricot nectar, brown sugar or maple syrup to taste, and pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves). Serve chilled.

Amortentia: Mix pink lemonade, cranberry juice, or raspberry soda. Add muddled strawberries or raspberries. Add a splash of rosewater or hibiscus tea.

Gillywater: Use still or sparkling water infused with cucumber slices, fresh mint leaves, and maybe a squeeze of lemon.

Polyjuice potion punch: Mix lemon soda with scoops of lime sherbet. It will froth up nicely. Use a base of green Hawaiian Punch or blend kiwi/pineapple juice. You could serve this in cauldron-style mugs or beaker glasses. Add gummy worms or eyeballs for extra creepiness.

Felix Felicis: Use sparkling white grape juice or ginger ale as a base. Add a splash of pineapple or peach juice for colour. Top it with edible gold glitter or lustre dust, and mix.

Draught of Living Death punch: Use dark grape juice, black cherry juice, or cola. Add some blackberries or blackcurrant syrup. Serve in potion bottles or dark goblets

Prepare a magical feast

Shares Chef Vidhi Gupta, “Butterbeer cupcakes is a great treat to include as HP is synonymous with Butterbeer, the famous drink you get at Hogsmeade’s. Since the flavour profile is butterscotch – we can do a rich butterscotch frosting and make the batter with the cream soda for that signature flavour. It’s a comforting and nostalgic drink, one that is fit for a feast in the Great Hall.”

Professor Sprout’s Garden veggie pasties: Flaky pastry turnovers filled with a mix of diced potatoes, carrots, peas, onions, and maybe some cheese or paneer, seasoned well

Mini shepherd’s pies: Individual ramekins filled with lentil and vegetable stew, topped with creamy mashed potatoes and baked until golden

Herbology class veggie platter: An assortment of fresh raw veggies, served with dips like hummus (Mandrake Mousse), green chutney (Gillyweed Dip), or ranch

Cheesy pretzel wands: Pretzel rods served alongside a cheese fondue dip

Sorting hat sandwiches: Cut mini sandwiches or cheese quesadillas into triangle shapes to resemble the Sorting Hat

Gillyweed pasta salad: Use spinach pasta or regular pasta with a pesto dressing, tossed with cherry tomatoes, olives, and feta or paneer cubes

Howler envelope samosas: Classic samosas resembling the shape of an envelope (Howler); serve with a spicy chutney

Treacle tart: A traditional British tart made with golden syrup (treacle) in a pastry crust

Golden snitch cupcakes: Chocolate cupcakes coated in gold with a snitch on top. Attach small paper or fondant wings


Coolest HP party favours

* DIY potion bottles filled with sweets or drink mixes

* Chocolate frogs in custom boxes

* House-themed keychains or pins

* Bags of Bertie Bott’s Beans