Mental Floss

How Draco Malfoy Became the Unofficial Chinese New Year Mascot

Forget horseshoes, Hogwarts' resident villain is apparently the new good luck charm. It all comes down to a play on words, particularly in relation to his Chinese name. And no, nothing is lost in ...
The Express Tribune

Harry Potter villain becomes a new-year mascot in China

With the Year of the Horse galloping into view, an unexpected face has emerged in China as a symbol of fortune: a villain from Harry Potter's wizarding world. Draco Malfoy, Potter's privileged teen ...
New York Post

The unlikeliest Winter Olympics star is a pierogi — and fans are rushing to buy the plushie mascot

The Olympics are stuffed with heartwarming moments — and this adorable viral dumpling is the perfect example. Team Poland stepped up to the 2026 Winter Olympics with strong competitors in speed ...
The Daily Dot

Draco Malfoy is the surprising new mascot for China’s Lunar New Year—and Tom Felton can’t get enough

In China, this year's Lunar New Year has an unlikely mascot: Harry Potter character Draco Malfoy, and Tom Felton (the actor who plays Malfoy) could not be more thrilled. Featured Video On Tuesday, Feb ...
MLive

The internet can’t get enough of Poland’s adorable pierogi plush Olympic mascot: Here’s where to shop

The 2026 Winter Olympics are underway, and a surprising star has taken the spotlight. The Polish figure skating team has adopted an unofficial mascot in a pierogi plush called Pieroguszki which ...
The New York Times

The Olympic Toys That Are Almost as Tough to Get as a Medal

Fans have fallen hard for plush dolls representing Tina and Milo, the mascots of Italy’s Winter Games. By Andrew Keh Reporting from Milan The clerk at the Olympic gift shop looked deadly serious as he ...
The Conversation

Who is the new face of China’s Year of the Fire Horse? Draco Malfoy, of course

The Chinese Year of the Fire Horse has a new, unexpected mascot: Draco Malfoy. Associating the Harry Potter antagonist with China’s Year of the Fire Horse might seem odd or whimsical. But it has much ...
The New York Times

Tom Ellis on the 1960s Movie That Blew His Mind

“It made me feel all the feels as a kid that I didn’t know I had,” said the star of “Lucifer” and the new CBS series “CIA.” By Kathryn Shattuck During his six seasons as the lead on “Lucifer,” the ...
The Australian Financial Review

Hollywood fights and kung fu robots. China’s AI blitz sparks alarm

Tokyo | As fireworks exploded over China this week and millions of families gathered to celebrate the Lunar New Year, China’s top technology firms launched their own kind of spectacle: a blitz of new ...
CNN

Lunar New Year 2026: Here is how people ring in the Year of the Fire Horse

As the Year of the Horse galloped in, revelers ushered in the most prominent festival on the lunar calendar with some quirks – from kung fu robots to Harry Potter’s teenage nemesis – and some ...
Hosted on MSN

Tom Felton’s Draco Malfoy is now a Chinese New Year mascot – and Harry Potter fans love it

Harry Potter’s Draco Malfoy has unexpectedly become a Chinese New Year icon in China. Images of the character – portrayed by Tom Felton – have been appearing across the country, from themed ...
The Independent

Why Draco Malfoy has become an unlikely Lunar New Year mascot in China

Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter's villainous rival, has become an unlikely Chinese Lunar New Year mascot, his face now adorning red festive decor and merchandise from posters to phone covers. The character ...