NATIONAL FRANKENSTEIN FRIDAY

National Frankenstein Friday

NATIONAL FRANKENSTEIN FRIDAY

National Frankenstein Friday, on the last Friday in October, recognizes Frankenstein as one of the best-known horror characters of all time. It's a day to also honor the author Mary Shelley, the characters she created in the novel. 

#FrankensteinFriday

The novel by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (1797-1851) tells the story of a young scientist, Victor Frankenstein. While Shelley published the first edition of Frankenstein in 1818 anonymously, the public believed her husband, Percy Shelley, to be the author. Unsurprisingly, the first 500 copies sold out. 

In 1823, Mary Shelley published a new edition under her name. Another edition in 1831 included Shelley's explanation about how the story came to be. This version is the one modern readers are the most familiar with today.

Frankenstein has been adapted to 60 movies or shorts since publication. The "the first Frankenstein movie" can refer to two very different, though influential, films. One film established the look and feel of the monster, and the other embraced the horror of the monster.

  1. Frankenstein (1910) was the first screen adaptation of Mary Shelley's novel was a short, silent film produced by Thomas Edison's studio that ran between 13-16 minutes. The short downplayed the "horror" of the story and chose to focus on the "mystic and psychological" to satisfy moral censors of the time. 
  2. Universal Pictures Frankenstein (1931) became a horror classic. The movie defined the "look" of Frankenstein, complete with a flat head, neck bolts, and a bolted jacket. Unlike the film short, this version of Frankenstein addressed the horror of the book. 

HOW TO OBSERVE FRANKENSTEIN FRIDAY

We have many ideas about how to celebrate this holiday. Give one or several of them a try.

  1. Watch a movie featuring Frankenstein or read the original book written by Mary Shelley. 
  2. Find out who Frankenstein is on Frankenstein Friday.
  3. Read both editions of the book. Seek out other novels by Mary Shelley or learn about her history.
  4. Draw your version of Frankenstein's monster.
  5. Attend a stage production of Frankenstein.
  6. Dress as Dr. Frankenstein or his monster for Halloween.
  7. Conduct an electricity experiment in science class in honor of the day.
  8. Host a Frankenstein party. Play trivia and hand out prizes.

Share all your ideas to celebrate on social media using the hashtag #FrankensteinFriday.

NATIONAL FRANKENSTEIN FRIDAY HISTORY

National Day Calendar® continues researching the origin of this novel day.

Frankenstein FAQ

Q. What are some other good, scary reads for fall?
A. You're looking for a good scare as the wind howls through the trees on a dark, autumn night by the fireplace, huh? Well, test your will and your wits with these:

  • The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
  • Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
  • The Stand by Stephen King
  • Beloved by Toni Morrison
  • The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe
  • The Woman in Black by Susan Hill
  • Dracula by Bram Stoker
  • The Monkey's Paw by W.W. Jacobs
  • The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

DATES
25 October 2024
31 October 2025
30 October 2026
29 October 2027
27 October 2028
26 October 2029