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 Halloween
is celebrated not only in the United States but in many other countries
as well. Here you'll find Halloween news from all over the globe,
including the U.S.A., where they really know how to get out and howl for
Halloween night! |
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Connoisseurs Sink Their
Teeth into the Dracula Myth
May 27,
2000 - POIANA BRASOV, Romania -- Lovers of horror and the macabre have been descending on
the home of one of their heroes this weekend. Scholars, artists and fans of Count Dracula
attended the Second World Dracula Congress in Poiana Brasov, Romania, in the heart of the
real Transylvania. Bram Stoker's 1897 novel "Dracula" was inspired by a local
15th-century ruler who earned the nickname 'Vlad the Impaler' for disposing of his victims
on stakes. Local organizers from the Transylvanian Society of Dracula (TSD) are now trying
to cash in on the man who terrorized their forefathers by using him as a tourist
attraction.
But three years of economic recession, coupled with a
post-communist tourism industry that is still mostly in government control, have hindered
their efforts. Conference delegates, however, remain enthusiastic about their pilgrimage
to the home of the legend.
"Dracula is a Western myth, and we want to put its magic
to work here in Transylvania," said TSD President Nicolae Paduraru, who also is the
host to the weekend conference.
"Romania is the spiritual home for people interested in
ghosts, vampires and the paranormal," said Alan Murdie, head of Britain's Ghost Club,
as the event got under way Thursday in a resort set in Transylvania's forested mountains,
105 miles north of Bucharest.
The legend of Dracula has inspired more than 180 movies, some
of which will be screened during the event, which also features lectures, discussions and
tours of the region. Souvenirs from the conference include hand-sized coffins certified to
contain earth from under Castle Dracula in Transylvania. Many delegates will also be
sampling the local red wine and sampling the local cuisine, which for reasons lost in
Transylvanian legend, features large doses of garlic.
Source - Correspondent Chris
Burns and Reuters
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Every
year, Halloween enthusiasts anxiously await the retail
industry to begin their Halloween season and see who's
first to stock products for the spooky season. Many
stores begin stocking Halloween products as early as
July! |
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