Funny Holidays - World Dracula Day

In May 1897, Bram Stoker's horror novel about the most bloodthirsty monster of all time was published. The prototype of the image of a vampire in the person of Count Dracula was Vlad III Basarab, the head of Wallachia, located in the south of what is now Romania. He repeatedly became the hero of historical films and films about otherworldly creatures feeding on human blood. Films about Count Dracula, a character written by B. Stoker, are very popular among viewers. The monster, who lives in a castle in Transylvania, has many fans around the world. The release date of the famous Gothic novel became the reason for the organization of an unusual celebration by fans of the vampire. Every year on May 26th World Dracula Day is celebrated. His prototype, Vlad Basarab, had two nicknames, reflecting the count's personal qualities and commitment to Satanism. One of them was the gloomy "Tepes" (from the Romanian țeapă, meaning "stake"). The ruler of Wallachia endlessly fought for the throne he inherited from his father. He proved himself to be an extremely cruel and ruthless tyrant, who exquisitely tortured his opponents and the people who betrayed him. It is believed that Tepes killed about 100 thousand people during his reign, imprisoning most of the victims on stakes rounded on one side as punishment. Vlad Basarab fought the Hungarians for the throne with the help of the Sultan and the troops of the Ottoman Empire. Turkish troops helped Tepes become the head of Wallachia in 1448. As a warning to his opponents, the count created entire forests of stakes, on which his enemies died a long and painful death. Whether Tepes actually drank their blood, as the legend says, remains a mystery. But it is known for sure that the oppressive grave atmosphere of the principality with thousands of corpses horrified even the seasoned Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. Together with his army, he decided not to enter Tepes’s possessions and, turning around, hastily went home. The count received the nickname “Dracula” (Dracul translates as “dragon”, but in Romanian also means “devil”, “devil”) for joining a secret society of Satanists. Like his father, Vlad Basarab was a member of the Societas Draconica - the knightly Order of the Dragon, which was created by the King of Hungary Sigismund I in 1408. The organization not only defended the possessions from external and internal enemies, but the church - from apostates and pagans. According to some reports, this occult society was searching for the source of immortality, performing sacrifices and other satanic rituals. While creating the image of Dracula, B. Stoker processed a lot of information available about the graph and came up with a character terrifying in his bloodthirstiness and cruelty. The vampire impressed readers with his atrocities, ruthlessness and mental sophistication. Despite the fact that the main character of the book is a negative character, Tepes has numerous fans who celebrate World Dracula Day on May 26.