Today is Saint Carannog’s Day, as some of you know I am rather fond of this particular saint, and wrote about him once.
There are a few extant stories about him, and my favorite never seemed particularly Christian, at least to me. It is also unusually pro-dragon; even though it comes from as anti-dragon an age as ours. But nobody seems to be celebrating. I take it as a sign of anti-dragon bias.
I warned you before that I had a Christmas story appearing in a horror anthology, so look for ‘Christmas Angels’ in the newest edition of the Yellow Booke. Like the previous editions, it will be illustrated by M. Grant Kellermeyer. And will be released on the very night of the Witches’ Sabbath, Walpurgisnacht, April 30th.
I should also say that it will 
be released as an ebook so you can download it, be safe, and not venture out of the house.
So last year, I decided to write a Christmas story and send it out to cheer people and remind them that I am doing something with my life. Robert Frost, my country’s great poet, did this, so I figured I should too. I wrote the story. Something went awry and it is now slated for release in a horror anthology.
So this year I decided to play to my strengths and write a Hallowe’en story. Nobody else sends out Hallowe’en cards, so I would be ahead of them on that. I am a lot less busy at Hallowe’en so it should come out much better. I wrote the story and realized that it was a little too horrific to send to my family, my friends, or to be handled by US postal clerks.
There is no need to check your mail. You won’t be getting anything from me this year, and that is probably for the best.
A helpful guide, although slightly less helpful than ’50 Ways to Leave Your Lover.’
I happen to love my family, which places me in a rather small minority of Americans, so I don’t dread the holiday season, but I do find it stressful and expensive.
There is a strong neurotic strain in the American mind that always wants to put on a show of how much fun is being had, even if the show of fun detracts from the experience of it. Discovering new enjoyable things isn’t any help, because after a while they will end up part of the show.
It is no secret that I am fond of one particular holiday: I wrote the book on it. And so, I say let’s take a stand on Hallowe’en and scale it back. Let’s keep it fun. Let’s half-ass our costumes. Let’s throw the party on the cheap. It is a day of masks so why be competitive and exhibitionistic?
Everything in life cannot be one crazed rush to show off. Anyone worthy of being impressed won’t be, and you, Gentle Reader, will chase the enjoyment of life off into the dark October night.
Thomas Olivieri 