The person who visited Edgar Allan Poe every year on his birthday was known as the Poe Toaster.
The Enigmatic Poe Toaster
For several decades, an unidentified person, or potentially more than one individual in succession, paid an annual tribute to the renowned American author, Edgar Allan Poe. This mysterious figure, famously dubbed the Poe Toaster by the media, would make an annual pilgrimage to Poe's original grave in Baltimore, Maryland.
A Unique Annual Tribute
The tribute occurred in the early hours of January 19, which is Edgar Allan Poe's birthday. The Poe Toaster's ritual involved visiting the cenotaph (a memorial marking a grave where the body is not present) and performing specific, consistent actions, including:
- Placing three red roses in a distinctive pattern on the grave.
- Leaving a half-empty bottle of cognac alongside the roses.
- Raising a silent toast to the literary master.
This annual act of remembrance continued largely uninterrupted for decades, becoming a significant part of Baltimore's local tradition and a unique way to honor one of America's most influential literary figures. The identity of the individual(s) behind the tribute remained a well-kept secret, adding to the mystique and enduring fascination surrounding the phenomenon. The final known appearance of the original Poe Toaster occurred in 2009, marking the 200th anniversary of Poe's birth.
For more detailed information, you can explore the history of the Poe Toaster on Wikipedia.
