World Dracula Day
Host a Gothic party, or watch any of the great adaptations of Bram Stoker’s absolutely iconic piece of Gothic literature, the eponymous Dracula.
Leverage Gothic nostalgia and literary fandom to drive engagement around horror content, themed merchandise, and experiential events tied to Dracula adaptations and vampire culture.
- Ranking the best Dracula film adaptations from Nosferatu to modern takes
- DIY Gothic party ideas: costumes, décor, and vampire-themed cocktails
- The real history of Vlad the Impaler: separating fact from Stoker's fiction
- Vampire literature deep-dive: how Dracula shaped the modern monster archetype
This event was started in 2017 by the Whitby Dracula Society, which is an organization based in the town of Whitby, England. This year was a special anniversary as it represented 120 years since the most famous novel was released.
But, of course, the concept of vampirism dates back thousands of years.
The ancient Greeks, Hebrews, Egyptians and Babylonians all had legends telling hair-raising tales of demon-like undead creatures that lived off of the blood of the living. However, the most iconic vampire of all time, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, was based on a real historical figure.
Prince Vlad III of Wallachia (Romania) was the real-life inspiration behind Stoker’s gothic horror novel.
An extremely cruel and merciless ruler, Vlad earned the nickname “Vlad the Impaler” for the many ways he tortured his opponents as well as people who betrayed him when they were captured.
As can be guessed from his nickname, impaling was his favorite method of execution, and it is thought that he killed up to 100,000 people during his reign, and was infamous for the “forests” of impaled victims he left behind when he won a battle.
The connection of his character with vampirism was made by Bram Stoker around the 1890’s, and has become a permanent element of pop culture since then. He first truly came to light in the 1897 Gothic horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. This is where the character Count Dracula was born and is now engrained in history.
The novel itself speaks of the exciting story of Dracula’s attempt to move from Transylvania to England. Finally Dracula arrives in England, in a small fishing village named Whitby.
To this day, Whitby in northern England hosts multiple events to celebrate Dracula including the famous castle in ruins that is lit up during certain seasons.
Dracula has also made history by being associated with many literary genres including vampire literature, horror fiction, gothic fiction, and invasion literature.
These genres have even made their way to television and cinema, which certainly proves the fame and power of Dracula. Afterall, he is a powerful character, is he not? Vampire culture has long lived on, with the likes of The Lost Boys and Twilight being some popular favorites.
While vampirism is clearly at the forefront of many modern novels, Dracula is also preoccupied with modernity because the Dracula novel itself looks into the relationship between the past and the future and represents the challenges between past and present, which makes us question the relationship we have today with our past and how things are likely to change in the future.
First Written Use of the Name “Dracula”
A medieval chronicle from Wallachia records Vlad II joining the chivalric Order of the Dragon and taking the name “Dracul,” with his son later known as “Dracula,” meaning “son of Dracul” or “son of the dragon.”
“The Vampyre” Creates the First Popular Literary Vampire
John Polidori’s tale “The Vampyre,” published in New Monthly Magazine, introduces Lord Ruthven, a suave aristocratic bloodsucker and becomes a literary sensation that helps shape the modern vampire archetype.
“Carmilla” Establishes Gothic Female Vampirism
Sheridan Le Fanu’s novella “Carmilla,” serialized in The Dark Blue, presents a seductive female vampire in a Central European setting, influencing later Gothic vampire fiction and anticipating themes later echoed in Dracula.
Publication of Bram Stoker’s “Dracula”
Bram Stoker’s Gothic novel “Dracula” is published in London, blending Transylvanian folklore, modern technology, and Victorian anxieties to create the definitive vampire count and a cornerstone of horror literature.
“Nosferatu” Brings the Vampire to Silent Cinema
W. Murnau’s German Expressionist film “Nosferatu” adapts Stoker’s story without authorization, introducing Count Orlok and popularizing the idea that sunlight can destroy vampires, a concept not found in the original novel.
Bela Lugosi’s “Dracula” Defines the Screen Count
Universal Pictures releases “Dracula,” starring Bela Lugosi, whose accent, cape, and hypnotic stare fix the visual image of the count for generations and help establish Universal’s cycle of classic horror monsters.
Christopher Lee Revives Dracula for a New Era
Hammer Film Productions’ “Dracula,” released in the United Kingdom and retitled “Horror of Dracula” in the United States, features Christopher Lee’s more overtly sensual and violent count, reigniting interest in Gothic horror worldwide.