Kids love scary stories (writing day 15) It is a common fact that children (to be honest, some adults too) like scary stories. They are read them and tell each other imaginary anecdotes. There is an opinion that the spooky stuff is a type of rehearsal for real-life fears, and with their help, children learn how to deal with a scare and other traumas. When I was a child, we are used to "invoke the spirits". There were special rituals - funny and frightening at the same time, normally performed in the darkness with candles and mirrors... It sounds scary, isn't it? There were kind spirits, like the Wish-getting Dwarf and the Bubblegum King, or funny, like the Abusive Dwarf, but also were dangerous, like the Queen of Spades. She could tell the truth (in other versions - to answer to one question or to get a wish) or kill if the ritual was performed incorrectly. As I know, the story of that character is similar to the story of Bloody Mary and the summoning rituals are almost the same. Unfortunately, I can't remember any rite I used to perform (but I'm sure that I made it). I wonder if modern-day Russian children perform any rituals, and what spooky child rites there are in different countries.