Often personal characteristics, such as a prominent nose or sparkling blue eyes, are passed from father to son -- but not all attributes can be linked to DNA. In two local families, fathers are passing magic down to their children.

As far back as Chris Hubbard can remember, his father has been practicing and performing magic. He grew up watching his father perform magic shows for family and at church events and activities. His sisters were even part of the act, assisting on stage in the levitation and disappearing acts.

"I always wanted to be an assistant too but I was too young," Hubbard said. "By the time I was old enough, my father no longer was performing magic shows."

Hubbard was 14 years old when he got serious about learning magic.

"My dad performed a simple trick with a Popsicle stick -- where a face drawn on the stick would disappear and reappear over and over -- and then I watched as one of his friends made a single card rise out of a deck of cards," Hubbard said. "I started to watch them and other magicians do various tricks and then I would change and adapt them and make them my own."

Hubbard's father, Loran Hubbard, taught him two special card tricks that he never taught anyone else. Hubbard has kept the secret, too.

"I have two sons and a daughter and I will pass the trick on to them," Hubbard said. "Even as early as 2 years old my oldest son tried to recreate tricks I performed for him complete with 'ta da!' at the end."

For Dave Johnson, another local father, magic was a tool to help his son learn to read and then later, enjoy reading.

When his son Gordon was in third grade, he didn't like to read. One day they were shopping in a novelty shop and Gordon became interested in a magic book.

"He said he wanted to learn magic so I purchased the book," Johnson said. "It was a book about newspaper magic tricks and it was a bit difficult to read."

This prompted his son to ask for help and that began an interest for both father and son. They would read a chapter together and then at the end they would build the magic effect. By the time they had finished the book his son had a briefcase full of magic effects.

"My son used his briefcase full of magic effects to fulfill a book report assignment," Johnson said. "He also learned some great card manipulations and got very good at changing a one dollar bill into a one-hundred dollar bill and then back again."

His son lost interest in magic in less than a year but Johnson kept learning and has been adding to his skills, which he's done for the past 25 years. He has been a member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians and the Society of American Magicians for nearly three decades.

"My wife Kathryn supports my habit by buying me magic paraphernalia instead of socks and ties for birthdays and Christmas," Johnson said. "She is my assistant at my shows and helps me put props together including wrapping chocolate frogs."

Johnson uses magic in his regular job as an occupational safety and health administration safety instructor and often the students will insist he do more magic if they feel he isn't including enough effects during a class.

"No one has ever complained that I use too much magic," Johnson said.

You can see Dave "Magical" Johnson perform his Harry Potter-themed magic show at the Wizard's Museum in Lehi for the next two Saturdays.