Preparing for an event is sometimes as important as the event itself. Cooking Thanksgiving dinner is as important as the holiday. Finding a great pair of shoes for a big event is as important as finding the right date. Over the course of the Harry Potter movies, I have made up my own rituals. Before each movie is released I:
- Reread the book that the movie is based on.
- Watch the previous movie (or, sometimes, all of them). I’ve got the DVDs ready.
- Eat the same snack at the movie - Nonpareils and Sour Patch Kids. Try it. Trust me.
Harry Potter 4 was my low point as a professional. I left work a early (with someone who reported to me) to go see the movie in the theater near our office. My boss found out. He wasn’t upset but did come up with a non-traditional punishment for us. In our weekly, company-wide email, he told everyone what we had done and encouraged all employees to ridicule us. They did. For about four months.
Do you have a pre-HP ritual? Did the movie make you do something you regret? Tell us about it in the comments and you could win a pre-publication copy of Pretty Bad Things by C.J. Skuse!