"I am here to do Your bidding, Master. I am Your slave..."

So you thought Hallowe'en was over? That you could coast for a little while before the next big holiday was upon you? That you could safely pack up and put away your spooky decorations?

Wrong!

Today is the birthday of Bram Stoker, the Irish novelist best known for his novel, Dracula. Stoker was born on November 8, 1847 in Clontarf, Ireland. Bedridden until the age of seven, he made a complete recovery and grew up without any further major health issues. He even became an athlete.  He graduated with a B.A. in Mathematics from Trinity College in Dublin.

After marrying Florence Balcombe (a former girlfriend of  Oscar Wilde) in 1878, the Stokers moved to London, where Bram became acting manager and then business manager of Lyceum Theatre, where he worked for 27 years. Sir Henry Irving was a stage actor and manager of Lyceum Theatre, and friend of Bram's. Working for Irving afforded Stoker to travel the world, including trips to the United States, where he met two American presidents, William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt. It was while working at the Lyceum Theatre that Stoker wrote his most famous novel. It is believed that meeting Ármin Vámbéry, a Hungarian writer and traveler and his dark stories of the Carpathian mountains that sparked the idea for Dracula. Stoker spent several years researching European folklore and mythological stories of vampires after meeting the Hungarian.

Stoker died in 1912 and was cremated. After the death of his son, Noel Broker, he, too, was cremated and his ashes added to those of his father's. The urn is on display in Golders Green Crematorium, in London.

Today, to celebrate, rent or buy one of the many movie versions of Dracula. The classic, of course, is the 1931 Bela Lugosi Dracula, but the one closer to the Stoker novel might be the more recent Gary Oldman's Dracula. Of course, the fact that Keanu Reeves is in this version also helps! ;)

Dress up in black cape, fake vampire teeth and slick back your hair.

Play creepy music. I actually got my friends in the mood for Day of the Dead crafts by playing Nox Arcana.

There are many Hallowe'en dishes that would do, especially anything that appears to bleed. Red wine or red grape juice is a MUST!

If you are too pooped to party, then tuck in with a copy of the book. Bram Stoker wrote many more stories than just Dracula, so be sure to look for a few while you're at it!

Whatever you do, prepared to have trouble sleeping later! <insert evil laughter here!>

“Paraskevidekatriaphobia – when you learn to pronounce it, you’re cured.”

According to the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina, fear of Friday the 13th affects between 17 and 21 million Americans. Why should this day, over any other, inspire such fear?

Theories range anywhere from the the number 12 traditionally signifying completeness, therefore 13 is unlucky (which begs the question, what about 11? What about 10? What about - you get the idea) to  Friday being the day on which Eve offered Adam the forbidden fruit and Jesus was crucified (but what has the number 13 got to do with that?) to the demise of the Knights Templar, a monastic military order whose members were arrested en masse by France’s King Philip IV on Friday, October 13, 1307.

Regardless of how it started, those who suffer from paraskevidekatriaphobia, Friday plus 13 equals a paralyzing, debilitating fear for millions of Americans.

But for those of us that don't have such a fear...

Plan a Friday the 13th party!

Once again, anything Hallowe'en related is a brilliant choice, most especially anything such as black cats. Throw in other things related to superstitious beliefs, like paper ladders and the number 13.

Play spooky music. Some of my favorite creepy music is anything by Nox Arcana.

Dress up in costumes. The more mysterious, the better.

Play party games like Truth or Dare or Worst Case Scenario.

Of course, what party wouldn't be complete without watching Friday the 13th movies?

Make a trip to a scary or haunted place, or spend the night in a haunted hotel.

Whatever you do, just be safe and have fun. Don't belittle anyone who has a true fear or even a little trepidation about the day. While it is untrue that hospital admissions are higher on this day, that can be probably generally attributed to the fact that many are just being more careful.