A Tradition Ends?

Is it Over?

For the last sixty years, on the birthday of American write Edgar Allen Poe, January 19, a mysterious stranger has always appeared during the night to leave three roses and a half-bottle of cognac on his grave. This year, 2010, the Associated Press is reporting that the mysterious stranger did not appear.

This event has become a “must see” for die-hard Poe fans. Many fans had travelled from all over the country to stand outside the cemetery to await the appearance of the mysterious stranger.

More than three dozen disappointed Poe fans huddled in the cold on the night of January 19th, when the stranger failed to appear. Last year marked the 200th anniversary of Poe’s birth, so many speculate that the stranger probably thought it was a good time to end the tradition.

“Edgar Allan Poe (January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective-fiction genre. He is further credited with contributing to the emerging genre of science fiction.[1] He was the first well-known American writer to try to earn a living through writing alone, resulting in a financially difficult life and career.” -Wikipedia